Belle of the South
by ScarlettMae
Summary: In a world full of supernatural beings, Serena is one as well. On one evening she happens to catch the attention of the vampire Eric Northman. As he wants to find out what she is, Serena has to do her best to keep her identity a secret for him, and others as well, which proves to be harder than she might have ever imagined. Eric/OC
1. Book I

**BOOK I**

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** If you happen to read this story and think, I've already read something like this, then you are absolutely right. I started a story very similar to this some time ago, but I deleted it. While the premise of this story is somewhat similar, the outcome is highly different. I took my old story in the wrong direction, and I completely rewrote it.

I also wanted to give a heads up: this series is rated T, but will have some more mature chapters. It will be nothing a True Blood fan can't handle, so don't worry.

This story will consists of different "books" all consisting of around 15 chapters. This is the first book, and I hope you will enjoy :)

* * *

I never wanted to be at this damn vampire bar. The line outside was long, and me and my friends were about the last people to join. As the cold breeze of the night brushed my bare skin, I both regretted wearing such a short dress and coming here, but after weeks of making up excuses, I couldn't think of anything else to tell my friends.

Allison and Jade were whispering and giggling like schoolgirls as the line moved. I had to control my expression, as I wanted nothing more but to scowl. Ever since the vampires came out of the closet, the humans were infatuated by the danger and excitement that came with their existence. Some of them felt threatened, and were scared of vampires, and while I was not a human, I was one of them.

Still, I couldn't let my fear show, and I couldn't possibly tell my friends the real reason why I didn't want to go to Fangtasia. The only option left was to make sure the vampires inside couldn't find out what I was exactly, so I doused myself in perfume, made sure my water intake had been good throughout the day, and to be sure I wore silver jewelry and carried a pepper spray made out of silver particles in my tiny bag, hoping it wouldn't get confiscated at the door.

"It's sure cold outside," I said, rubbing my arms. It always surprised me how hot the days were, and how cool the nights could be.

"We'll be in soon," Jade said, running her fingers through her shoulder length black hair. She took a mirror out of her bag to reapply her lipstick, and Allison followed her lead.

I had thought about wearing a pair of jeans, and a sweatshirt to make myself as unattractive as possible, but then I remembered that in order to blend in I had to look like everyone else. The outfit of choice for vampire bars were skimpy dresses and heavy make-up, so I just did what the rest did and hoped I would go unnoticed.

Soon came quicker than I wanted it to be. A lot of people were allowed in, and within seconds we were up to the front of the line. I stayed behind my friends, who were trying to take a peek inside. We all had never been here before, and none of us had any idea what to expect.

"ID please," a tall blonde vampire said after waiting a few minutes. She extended her arm, waiting for us to hand it over. She was wearing a very stylish pink outfit, and sky high heels.

I grabbed my ID out of my bag, suddenly aware of how different I looked in the picture. My auburn hair was up in a ponytail, while I was wearing it down in loose curls now. My make-up in the photo was kept to the minimum, but tonight my blue eyes popped because of the green eyeshadow, and my lips were colored a soft shade of pink.

My friends were allowed through, leaving me behind for just a moment as the vampire scanned my ID. Her eyes met with mine, and I could feel my heart beginning to pound.

"Love your dress," she said dryly before handing my ID back.

I slowly released my breath as I mumbled a word of thanks before stuffing the ID back in my purse. I quickly hurried inside, and hoped that this would be the only vampire I had to speak to the entire night. These vampires bars had become quite popular with tourists, such as ourselves, and hopefully we outnumbered them.

But as soon as my eyes adjusted to the darker light inside, I noticed that we weren't. Fangtasia was full to the brim with vampires, and if I was not mistaken I sensed other supernaturals as well, making me wonder if they could tell _I_ was different…

My friends had already moved to the bar and taken a seat, busy discussing what to order and if the vampire bartender could make 'human' drinks as well. I followed them, keeping my eyes and ears open, but the music was blaring too loudly for me to pick up if someone was talking about me.

Fangtasia looked exactly like how you would imagine it. The walls were painted a crimson color, and decorated with tiny lights and large, somewhat macabre, paintings. There was a stripper pole in the middle, where a human girl was doing her best to entertain the masses. But what struck me the most was in the back of the club.

My eyes rested on another tall blonde vampire, seated on what looked like some sort of throne. He was seated higher than the bar, and kept a close watch on everyone inside. He had his hair slicked back, and wore a leather jacket with a simple pair of jeans. His hands gripped his throne, and I found that he looked particularly bored.

"Serena, what do you want?" Allison said over her shoulder, snapping me out of my trance.

I looked over to see they were ordering drinks. "Martini is fine."

I decided I was behaving too suspiciously and focussed on my friends. We took our drinks over to a different table where we could talk. I kept my hands preoccupied by holding my Martini and my purse, as I didn't dare to look at anyone else but Allison and Jade.

"I can't believe we're actually here," Allison said, taking a sip from her white wine. By the way her eyes widened when a vampire passed I realized she had never seen one of them before, and to protect myself it would be best to pretend I didn't either.

"Their skin is so much paler than I expected," I said finally, after taking a big gulp of alcohol to work up the courage to speak.

"I know, right?" Jade agreed. "And some of them dress… different."

I knew exactly what she meant. While the tall blonde on the throne was dressed normally, some of them looked like they came straight out of either a BDSM-porn, or my worst nightmare. A feeling of worry washed over me. I leaned forward and motioned for my friends to do the same.

"Girls, promise me you don't do anything stupid? These vampires are a lot stronger than we are, and they can glamor you and make you do anything you don't want to do."

"Glamor?" Allison said. "How do you know about all that stuff?"

"I read about it," I quickly fired back. "Online."

"Don't worry, Serena. We've just come here to drink and to take a look," Jade replied.

I laughed lightly. "You say that now but these vampires are apparently _very_ persuading. Promise we stick together as a group?"

They both promised, which made me feel a little better. I didn't want to be left alone in this place, and I also didn't want them to be all by themselves. Bathroom trips had be with the three of us, Lord knows what was going on back there.

The next hour passed without being intruded, and although I was glad for it, I knew my friends were dying to talk to a real vampire, and the barman didn't count. I couldn't stop them without giving myself away, but I could distract them.

"I need to go to the bathroom, will you please go with me?"

They didn't look particularly happy about leaving their spot, knowing it would get taken the moment we left, but after I joked about seeing someone get bitten in the bathroom, they seemed somewhat excited about seeing more of the bar.

I felt bad for being a nuisance to my friends, and holding them back from having fun, but they didn't know the things I did. Over the years, I had become very familiar with vampires, and I knew how their mind worked. In the end, the only thing they were after was blood, and I wasn't going to let my friends become dinner.

My friends didn't have to go, so they touched up their make-up in front of the mirror while I pretended I needed to pee in one of the stalls. After that I decided to put on more perfume, masking my natural scent.

"The guy on the throne looks particularly handsome."

They were discussing which vampire appealed to them the most, a game which could potentially be very dangerous.

"How old do you think he is?" Jade wondered, leaning forward in front of the mirror to reapply her mascara.

I frowned. "I have no idea."

But the truth was that I had an idea. The vampire on the throne had to be the oldest creature that was in the bar today. I could sense it, and the more I could sense other supernaturals around me, the more I became afraid they were able to sense me as well. To be safe I put on even more perfume.

We returned and went to dance on the floor. The music seemed to be even louder than before, and as long as we were dancing no harm could be done. I let my body get swept away with the music, remembering that the more I behaved like the rest of the tourist, the less I would stick out.

It didn't take long before Jade had found herself in conversation with a vampire with long black hair. He was wearing a worrying amount of leather and his hand touched her arm a little too many times for my liking, but I knew I couldn't intervene.

My eyes found the vampire on the throne again. His expression was as equally bored as it was an hour ago, and I found myself wondering what he was thinking. What I did know was that he was very old. Hundreds of years, at least. The power he had would be unlike anything I had ever seen before. He could kill everyone in this establishment in a matter of seconds.

I didn't know how fast I had to turn away when his eyes met with mine. They were icy, and cold, and if I hadn't looked away sooner he would have been able to stare directly in my soul.

I cursed under my breath, kicking myself for letting my curiosity take the better of me. He had seen me now. With old age came experience, and what if he knew what I was? My heart was beginning to pound again, and I was very thankful for the dim lighting that masked my glowing cheeks.

Instead, I turned myself to Jade and her vampire friend again, but as I searched the dance floor I reached the conclusion they weren't here anymore.

Allison was still dancing away. I tried to catch her attention by pulling on her arm, and when I asked her where Jade was, she looked around her distraughtly.

"I don't know," she said, her eyes widening.

I wanted to get mad at her for letting Jade out of her sight, but then I remembered I did the same. I grabbed Allison's hand. If they weren't here, they were either outside or in the bathroom, and my gut told me it was the latter.

We darted through the bar and entered the women's bathroom. At first glance, it seemed empty, but then I heard the sound of resistance coming from the final stall. I rushed over, and found the door was open. It revealed Jade, strangled by the vampires as it sucked the blood from her neck.

I looked back to see Allison had frozen, with her hands in front of her mouth. I warned her to stay back before calling out the vampire. I was so scared this was going to happen. For one moment in my life, I had hoped that vampires could prove themselves to me to be anything but predators, but how could I have expected anything less?

The black haired vampire turned himself to me as he kept his hand on Jade's throat. Blood as crimson as Fangtasia's walls was running down his chin, right on the ground. He smiled.

"What are you going to do, little girl?"

It was a good question, and I didn't have the answer.

"Stay away from her," I hissed.

"How about you try?"

He turned his head and buried his face in her neck again. Her muffled screams send shivers down my spine, and I felt helpless. I couldn't take on the vampire, physically, not here. While he didn't seem that old, he would snap my neck just as easily. I couldn't count on Allison, who seemed to have fainted.

My blood was boiling from both anger and fear. If I couldn't fight him myself, I had to find someone who was able to. There was no way I would leave both Allison and Jade here, and as the whimpering continued, I knew I had to act fast.

There was only one thing I could do before he would kill Jade and continue with Allison. I curled my fingers into a ball and opened my mouth, letting out a high pitch scream. It was even louder than I expected. I had only done this a handful of times, but it seemed to work.

The vampire let go of Jade and put his hands to his ears, looking at me with a confused expression.

I screamed again. Vampires had supersonic hearing, and someone in the bar should pick it up. Something behind me began to rumble. I shut my mouth and looked over my shoulder. The taps were all shaking violently, and before I realized what was happening they all exploded.

Water erupted from all of them, and I knew I had gone too far. This wasn't supposed to happen. I only wanted to get the attention of someone who would be able to help. No normal person was able to do this. High pitched screams could be explained, but not this.

The vampire let Jade fall to the floor as he turned himself to me.

"What the hell did you do?"

His fangs were still out and I could read the hunger in his eyes.

"I… I didn't," I tried to explain myself, but before he could attack someone suddenly stood before me.

The vampire was so fast I could only see a blur of his figure. He had grabbed the black haired vampire by his neck and smashed him against the wall, the force making a dent in the concrete. A groan escaped from his mouth, and it wasn't until then I could take a closer look at who our savior was.

It was the blonde vampire from the throne. He was even taller than expected. I had always been blessed with long limbs, but even at my height, the vampire still towered over me. He had taken off his leather jacket, revealing his muscular posture, and when I looked at his face I saw his fangs were out as well.

As the water poured down on all of us, I held my breath. I regretted coming here. I should've thought of a better excuse and stay at home with my friends to watch television. Not only did my friends get hurt, I also put myself in an incredibly tough position.

There was no time to think yet. I rushed over to Jade and wrapped my arms around her. The bite wound wasn't deep, so the bleeding stopped almost immediately. Her entire neck and shoulder, as well as her dress, were stained a deep color of red, and I put my hands over her eyes so she didn't have to see what the tall blonde vampire was about to do.

Without pardon, I heard a deafening crack, followed by a ripping sound. I closed my eyes as well as I realized the vampire had decapitated the other one.

It suddenly grew awfully quiet. The music had stopped, and it seemed like everyone except us in the bathroom had left. The only sound came from our breathing, and the water that had by now covered the floor.

* * *

 **A/N:** That was it for the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and please leave behind a comment with your thoughts. I love reading them :) Take care and until next time!


	3. Chapter 2

Everything had happened so fast that I needed a moment to let everything sink in. Not only had one of my best friends been bitten by a vampire, I also seen one get killed right before my eyes, and potentially given away what I was. All in one night.

It took me a good few seconds before I dared to open my eyes, and when I did I wished I hadn't. The vampire's head was floating right before me, a cloud of blood forming around it in the water. I was very glad we had been saved, but I knew this image would be etched in my mind forever, not to mention the fact that I owe a vampire now.

I looked up to see the tall blonde man. From the ground, he looked even bigger than he truly was, and with blooded splattered over his torso and his fangs extracted, he was menacing.

"I want to apologize for the behavior of this particular vampire," he spoke, his voice deeper than I had expected.

Footsteps were approaching, and the vampire who had checked our ideas appeared in the bathroom.

"Eric. What the fuck happened here," she said, her voice equally dry as it had been, almost as if she wasn't surprised something like this had happened.

"Someone couldn't control their hunger," the vampire, whose name apparently was Eric, responded.

"And you had to kill him?" the woman said.

"It was self defense," Eric replied immediately.

"And in your rage you broke all the plumbing as well?"

My breath got stuck in my throat as I averted my eyes to the ground. I cradled Jade in my arms as I focussed on her completely. They couldn't know it was me, but there weren't a lot of other reasons to explain the phenomenon. Combined with my high pitched shriek and Eric's years on this planet, he had to know what I was, right?

"I don't know what happened with that."

Vampire's were notorious for showing little to no emotion, but I dared to say I heard a little uneasiness in his voice, as if he knew what had happened but didn't feel like sharing it with his companion.

"My question is, what are we going to to with _them_."

Since I was the only one of us three who seemed to be the least traumatized, I felt like he was addressing me. I slowly lifted my gaze as I kept my arms around Jade,

Eric's brows ruffled as our eyes met. I couldn't tell if he knew, or if he was simply intrigued. Either way, he knew something was up, and that was bad.

"Glamor them," the female vampire shrugged. "Give them a change of clothes and send them on their way."

 _Fuck_. This meant I had to put my acting skills to the test. Glamoring would work on my friends, but it wouldn't on me. If they noticed it didn't work, it would only confirm every suspicion they already had.

"No!" I objected. "Please, don't. Let this night be a lesson for us."

I got his attention. Eric turned himself to me again, and the other woman shuffled closer. I must look a right mess about now. My hair clung to my face, my dress was soaked, and I had stains of blood on my skin.

"You can see how scared we are. We will never return here if you let us go. I won't press charges. No one will ever know."

The woman placed her hand on her hip as she rolled with her eyes.

"Ah, how cute, she doesn't know how glamoring works. Honey, we can get all of that by just looking you in your eyes."

I turned my gaze to Eric. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I felt like I could trust him. He knew there was something more to be than just human, and perhaps I could spark his curiosity just enough for him to let us go. If more than one vampire knew what I was, the news would spread like wildfire, and I counted on him to want me all to himself.

The vampire stepped forward, but Eric put her hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Pam, no. I think this might be good. Let them spread the fear of what they encountered tonight."

His eyes briefly met with mine and my heart was full of hope that this was actually working.

"Perhaps it will get rid of all those _pesky_ tourists coming here just to take pictures of us."

The combination of alcohol and adrenaline made my head spin. This just took a positive turn, and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We would get out of here, and above all, my true identity was somewhat protected. I made a mental note to not leave my home during the night for the next couple of weeks. Thank god it was summer and the nights were short and the days long.

"They are traumatized enough. Get them some clean clothes and let them go home."

"Eric? You're letting them go?" Pam said.

He turned himself to her and his gaze intensified. "Pam, do as I say. And call a plumber before this entire place floods."

In the meantime I had taken the liberty to stand up, I extended my arm to help Jade up. I couldn't take my eyes off the bites wounds, wondering how long it was going to take before they would disappear. I knew vampire blood would help heal it so much faster, but I also knew that wasn't common knowledge and I couldn't suggest it without giving myself away. She would have to make do with wearing a scarf.

I wasn't sure what to say to Eric, so I just thanked him. He didn't respond, and he didn't look grateful either, but then again, vampires were hard to read.

I got Allison up as well, who was looking as pale as vampires themselves, and I pointed to the large leather couch that stood in the middle of the club to sit down.

"Can I get us some water?" I asked carefully, suddenly fully aware of how my dress was sticking to my body. It must not leave much to the imagination, and I hoped Pam would return soon.

"Behind the bar," Eric waved, and I continued to fetch it.

There was an awkward tension in the air, as we both knew the other knew more than they should. I gave both of my friends a glass of water as I sipped from mine. I could really use something stronger, but I promised myself I got to drink as much as I wanted when I got home.

Pam finally returned with what looked like Fangtasia merchandise. She handed us all an oversized red t-shirt, with their logo on the front. I asked if it was okay if we could get changed in private, which was granted. The vampires disappeared into an office, and the three of us were finally alone.

"I'm so sorry," Jade then said, as tears began to stream down her cheeks again.

"Don't be sorry," I said, taking her into my arms again. "It was my fault for letting you out of my sight."

I released her from my grip, surprised how I was still so emotionally calm, before telling them to get changed.

"When we get home we'll put this behind us, okay? We'll never come back here again."

They nodded, and we got changed not much longer after. The dry cloth was a welcome change on my skin, and it even managed to warm me up a little. I knew the vampires could hear us, and as soon when we were done Eric appeared again.

I felt his eyes scanning my body, but it wasn't in a lustful, sexual way. Rather, it was a look of intrigue, curiosity, and in this moment I wasn't sure which one I would rather have wanted.

"Thank you for saving us," I said, deciding it would be best if I did the talking. "Like I promised, you will never see us here again."

Eric didn't respond, and I figured that was our cue to leave. I spun on my heel and took Allison and Jade's hand, guiding them towards the exist.

The closer we got, the more I felt like I could breathe again. Today had been a close call. Jade could have been killed, and if not for Eric, everyone in the bar would have known there was something more to me than just being human.

I felt grateful, yet scared. He had helped me, but I knew he had done so for his own interest. He knew I was different, and looking over my shoulder one last time, finding his eyes glued to me as I left, I realized that while I vowed to never set foot in Fantasia ever again, I knew this wouldn't be the last time I would see Eric.

* * *

We drove home in silence—welcome silence. We all needed to think about what had happened, and I found myself worrying about the days to come. While I was glad Jade and Allison wouldn't care for vampires any longer, I was still scared their recovery. What happened was traumatic, and we all needed some time to get over what happened.

I raised my thumb to my lip as I kept one hand on the wheel. I protected myself from being glamored, but perhaps it had been selfish. In the rearview mirror I saw Allison, staring outside, a pained expression on her face. She was still deathly pale, and Jade sitting besides me didn't fare much better. Maybe it would have been better if Eric had glamored them…

Allison and Jade decided they wanted to stay together for the night, so I dropped them off at Jade's place. I just really wanted to be alone, and process what had happened, but once they were gone, the car was eerily empty, and I found myself get spooked by every sound that came from outside.

To make myself feel safer, I pulled the pepperspray from my bag and kept it in one hand as I continued driving home. My house was situated behind the local bar Merlotte's, deep into the woods. I would rather stay in town, for my own safety, but the nearby bodies of water were definitely a luxury I didn't want to miss.

I was glad I left the lights on, and after looking around for a moment before I stepped out of my car, I knew I was completely alone. It was still dark, and now one vampire knew I was different, it could only be a matter of time before others knew as well.

The moment the door closed behind me, I felt like I was finally safe. Vampires couldn't enter without permission, and I would never grant it to one of them. My home was old, older than most buildings in Bon Temps, and there were lots of things I needed to refurbish, but the most important things was that it felt safe, and right now I needed nothing more than that.

Well, except maybe for a drink as well. I dropped my stuff on the couch and shuffled to the kitchen where I had hidden a bottle of vodka in one of the cupboards. I didn't particularly enjoy the taste of it, but I did enjoy the feeling it gave me. Without thinking too long about it, I put the bottle to my lips and took a swig.

It was already deep in the night, but I couldn't go to sleep. My head was still spinning and the alcohol added some extra fuel to the fire. I was also scared to close my eyes, fearing what I'd might see.

I was almost settled in on the couch when the doorbell rang. I shot up, dropping the bottle of liquor on the ground. My heart rate started to increase, as I already had a suspicion who it might be.

"I know you're in there," I heard from outside. My thoughts were confirmed—it was Eric.

I had two options. One: ignore him and hope he would go away, although he would probably stay outside of my house until dawn, and the thought made me uncomfortable. Two: face him, but stay inside so he couldn't do anything, and above all, don't invite him in. He wasn't in a position to glamor me, so that wouldn't be a problem.

The latter option seemed best. I held in my breath, and with a sweeping motion I opened the door.

"I didn't expect you so soon."

A smirk unraveled on his face, and that was the first time I had seen him smile, or be remotely amused for that matter. He had put on his jacket, but I could still see the blood stains on his t-shirt underneath.

"Oh, you were expecting me?"

"You let us go too easily," I replied honestly. "I knew you wouldn't really let us get away with it."

"Smart _and_ pretty."

I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I was doing my best to keep my balance and keep my thoughts straight, but I had taken so many sips of vodka in such a short amount of time I began to feel tipsy.

"How did you know where I live?"

"I followed you. You know, that pepperspray stuff doesn't actually work that great."

I was surprised to hear it didn't work, but then I again I had no idea whether to trust a word that came out of his mouth. His intentions were still very much a mystery. Well, I knew he wanted to know what I am, but what he wanted to do with that information I could only guess.

"What do you want?" I said, cutting to the chase.

"There is something _different_ about you. I know it, you know it, and it will not be long before other vampires will know it as well."

He took a step closer to the door, but I didn't take a step back. He couldn't enter, there was no reason to be afraid.

"I've managed it without anyone knowing for a long time now. I doubt it will change."

Eric leaned forward slightly, as that same smirk returned.

"So you admit you _are_ different."

"I'm not admitting to anything," I defended.

"Well, the truth is," Eric began. "I don't know who you are, I don't know what you are, but your little stunt at Fangtasia will not go unnoticed. It will only be a matter of time before others will want to know exactly what went down, and I don't know how I am going to explain exploding pipes."

"Look, if it starts to go out of hand, I will move. You can't get to me during the day. I've done this for a long time now, I know how to survive."

It was the truth. I had often moved to protect my identity, and protect my friends. It was hard, creating a new life every time I moved, but it became easier the more I had done so.

"Know this: the moment you stepped through the doors, I knew you were something else. You can put on as much perfume as you like, but that scent is hard to mask. Your accent, while almost flawless, is foreign. Your voice isn't humanlike. It might be my age, but you can't fool every vampire you come across."

"I'll try," I nodded, confidently.

I placed my hand on the door, closing it ever so slightly to give him a hint I wanted him to go. I had to admit I was surprised that he had noticed all of it. The scent usually was masked very easily, and as for my accent, I never had anyone call me out on it. I had severely underestimated his age, and expertise.

"I'd like to see that," he said, almost as if it were a threat or a challenge, I couldn't decide on which one.

Before he was able to turn away, an idea popped in my head. I felt bad for suggesting it, but longterm I knew it would be so much better. I already owed him, and I didn't want to add anything to that debt, but this needed to be done.

"Eric? I need to ask a favor."

He licked his lips as he raised his eyebrows, awaiting my request.

"Could you please glamor my friends? They are traumatized. I don't want them to remember this night. You know where they live."

For a strange reason, I trusted him with this task. If he wanted to taste either me or them, he would've had the chance back at Fangtasia. I knew he would do this for me. Like many vampires after finding out there was something different about me, they couldn't contain their curiosity. And who was I to blame them? After so many years on this planet it's a rare occasion to be surprised by something.

"That is a disappointment. I hoped you wanted to show me what you are really made of."

He nodded slowly, and I could see his mind working. He wasn't stupid. Eric knew this would mean I owed him two favors. It was a bad position to be in, but I just wanted to protect my friends.

"I will."

Even though I trusted him, I felt the need to warn him nevertheless.

"Eric, I mean just _glamoring._ If I find out that you've hurt them, I will hunt you down."

He laughed out loud.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all so much for your support so far! Your messages were really sweet and I absolutely loved reading them. I forgot to mention that this story is basically set in a world without the Stackhouses, so they will not appear at all!

Please let know your thoughts and I will see you in a couple of days! :D


	4. Chapter 3

As soon as dawn came I hurried to Jade's house. I had know idea what Eric had told them, and if he even had glamored them like I asked. Suddenly, I began to worry if I was going to walk into a crime scene with two dead bodies. In the moment I had trusted him, but now I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol which had made me. I rapped at the door, and my heart stopped for a moment when it opened.

Jade stood before me, wrapped in a bathrobe. Her hair was a mess, and by the look of her face I had woken her up.

"Serena, what the hell are you doing here so early?"

My eyes fell on her neck, noticing there were no bite marks. He had healed her as well. A weight fell of my shoulder and I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Everything seemed to be okay.

"Uh, are you doing okay?" I asked to be sure. "Is Allison here?"

"Yeah," Jade said after yawning. "She's here. And why wouldn't we be okay?"

"Oh," I began to awkwardly motion with my hands, trying hard to think of an excuse, but my hangover and lack of sleep made it very hard. "I don't know. Just had a feeling. Ignore that I was here."

Before Jade could ask any questions I spun on my heel and hurried towards my car. I yelled a goodbye in her way and quickly climbed in. With my hands on the steering wheel I inhaled deeply before exhaling softly. He had actually done what I asked him to do, and this went completely against all my instincts. While I found Eric was different than other vampires I had met, he was still a vampire.

I decided to celebrate this victory by going to one of the bigger pools of water at the back of the house. There were larger lakes around, but I knew there were no gators in this particular one, which was a big plus. I laughed at the irony of it all. I seemed like I was dodging creatures who wanted to bite me everywhere I went.

The sun felt like a safety blanket on my skin. No vampires would be able to hurt me while it was out, and that was a reassuring feeling. Before yesterday night, my life had mostly gone unnoticed from the supernatural inhabitants of Bon Temps, which was limited to Sam (who also happened to be my boss). I had no idea if he knew what I was, but since he never brought it up, I enjoyed working for him.

Wherever I went, and lived, I always took simple and flexible jobs. Over the years I had the notable experience in waitressing, and I didn't dare to do much else. I didn't want my name to be on many permanent records and I didn't want anyone to remember me after I was gone, at least not for many years.

I undressed completely, letting my sundress pool at my feet. I folded it neatly and placed my underwear on top of it. No one ever came here, so I wasn't scared on anyone seeing me. It just felt better when I was all naked, and the swamp had the tendency to ruin fabrics.

My feet were the first to hit the water. It was shallow, but just deep enough to emerge my entire body. The transformation always felt a little uncomfortable, but after so many years I learned to control and appreciate it. My legs seemed to suddenly be glued together, before blending right into each other as if they were made of soft clay. A long tail formed where my feet were, and that was when metamorphosis was complete.

I lifted my tail, watching it glitter in the sun as I bathed in the warm water. Over time, it had gone from a pale white color, to a very light blue, and I loved the way it looked. It was almost perfect, exactly like the ones drawn in children's fairytale books, apart from a scar running diagonally across where my right thigh would be. I never wanted to think about how it got there, but every time I looked at it I was reminded again.

During my entire lifetime I had never met another mermaid before. So far, it seemed like there was only one of my species, and that was me. My parents left me on the steps of an orphanage, and no one knew who or where they were. If anything, they had to be dead by now, and I thought the chance of finding out who they were unlikely.

This was one of the reasons I was so protective of myself. I had met many other supernaturals, but none of my own kind. Shapeshifters could transform into fish if they wanted to, but it wasn't the same. Vampires seemed to only lust for my blood, and I avoided werewolves all together. As far as I knew, I was the only mermaid in America.

After last night, I needed to be in the water. It was a very therapeutic and a healing process, and I felt my hangover washing off within minutes. I wanted nothing more but to really swim, but it was hard finding a place here in Louisiana where there were no alligators, no people, and above all, no vampires. In the meantime, this satisfied my need just enough to cope.

I spend perhaps a little too long just drifting in the water, and the sun was close to setting when I finally forced myself out. I covered my private parts with my dress and shuffled back to the house, getting in just before it was about dark.

I fully expected Eric to pay me another visit. If I knew anything about vampires then it was that you should never spark its curiosity, and I knew I had done so. He wouldn't be able to let this go until I admitted to him what I was—or until he found out personally.

The more I thought about it as I got dressed again, the more I realized that I'd rather tell him than have him find out. The only way he would ever know was if he caught me in the act, and while I was stronger in the water, I wasn't out of it. It always took some time for my legs to return, and considering the incredible speed of vampires, that was too slow.

My mind pondered what would be the best option. He was going to find out sooner or later, perhaps if I just told him he would let me go… And if not, I could always move again. Perhaps to a different continent.

I had to go to work tomorrow, so I hoped Eric would be here soon. My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy as I remembered I hadn't slept at all the night before. The image of the decapitated head was still fresh in my memory, but considering how tired I was feeling I knew I would be able to sleep soon anyway.

A cup of hot chocolate kept me awake. I resorted to reading a book while I waited, and it didn't take long before, like expected, I heard a knock at the door.

I moved quickly, both curious to as what he wanted, and anxious about him being here again. I decided to stay well within the room he couldn't touch me. As long as I was inside, I was safe.

"Well, well, well," Eric said as he unlaced his hands and took a step forward. In the moonlight his skin seemed to almost glow, and his hair was slicked back perfectly as always.

"What do you want, Eric," I said, hoping this wasn't going to take long because I felt the fatigue all through my body.

A light grin played on his lips as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Last night, you admitted you were something _else_. You are not a human, and definitely not a vampire. You don't smell like a dog, so you're not a werewolf, and a shifter seems unlikely. I have been thinking, Serena. And if my memory doesn't fail me, that doesn't leave many supernatural beings."

His voice was confident, and he sounded like was on to something. I wanted to tell him about what I was personally, but if this was headed where I thought it was, I wouldn't have to.

"So, considering your _symptoms_ , which include a delightfully pleasant voice which has a slight accent, a scent that smells familiarly like the sea, and your ability to control water, I seem to have come to an impossible conclusion. Mermaids have been extinct for years, decades even, yet it seems one is standing right in front of me."

My lips seemed to be glued together as I had no idea what to say. This wasn't the way I had planned it to be, but once again I had underestimated Eric and I promised myself I would never make this mistake again.

"So it's true?" Eric said, his expression growing serious as my silence confirmed his suspicions.

I had been in this position before. He wasn't the only vampire to guess or find out what I was, and the result was always that I moved away to protect myself, hoping I would never have to see them again. It was easier when vampires weren't out of the closet. I could avoid them pretty much any where, and they were much more careful about revealing themselves. But now it seemed like they were everywhere, and another moment like this was bound to happen sooner or later.

"Have you ever met another mermaid?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, never. As far as I know, I am the only one."

He scanned my body, his eyes resting on my legs. The scar that covered my tail was also visible on my thigh, and it was clearly in sight wearing a short dress. I had never been uncomfortable about showing it before, but now it was in clear sight of a vampire, it was. My fingers grabbed the hem of my dress and pulled it down ever so slightly as I cleared my throat to direct him to my face again.

"You know you are in a very difficult situation, aren't you? You die, the entire mermaid species as far as we know it dies."

"That thought had never occurred to me before," I replied sarcastically. I didn't need a vampire to tell me how much in danger I was. "Perhaps you're also aware that my greatest predator happens to a vampire."

"Oh, I am aware," he replied. "That's why I came here. You need protection."

I chuckled, thinking it was a joke for a second, but as his brows ruffled it appeared it wasn't.

"No, thank you," I said immediately.

"Serena, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. You die, mermaids die. Do you want to let that happen?"

"Until a day ago you had no idea that I even existed, so what does it matter to you of I let the species die or not? Nothing changes."

"But now I do know," Eric defended. "And that changed everything. I never thought I would ever meet another mermaid ever again."

I couldn't deny that didn't spark my curiosity. Like I had never seen someone like me before, I had also never seen anyone who had met another mermaid before. I had been alone for so long now I had almost forgotten that once there had been others.

"You knew others? Tell me about them."

His stern face turned into a devilish grin. "Why don't you invite me in and I'll tell you all about her."

I rolled my eyes. While I was dying to find out more, I didn't literally have a death wish. My blood was like crack to a vampire. My scent was sweet like the water they couldn't drink. While he was an old vampire, there was always a chance that he couldn't hold back.

"You know you owe me _two_ favors… You could settle one of them by merely inviting me in, and perhaps the second one by allowing me a little taste."

"And then you'll kill me or hold me hostage as a personal blood fountain. No, thank you, Eric."

"What have I done for you to think so low of me?"

I let go of the hem of my dress which revealed the scar again.

"As you can see I have experience with vampires. I'm not making that mistake again."

For the first time since I met him he seemed to be lost for words, as if he was almost ashamed someone had done this to me. Did he just show _compassion?_ First he actually does what I asked him to do, and now this. Eric kept on surprising me.

Adding to that, he seemed to have picked up the hint I really wanted to be alone and go to bed. Eric took a step backwards and before disappearing into the darkness he turned to me to speak.

"If you want the rest of that story, you'll know where to find me."

* * *

 **A/N:** Serena's identity is revealed! I knew some of you already guessed what it was, but I hope you still enjoyed the reveal :) Please let me know your thoughts and I will upload again as soon as I can!


	5. Chapter 4

Jade and Allison had come to keep me company during work. It was strange seeing them have absolutely no memory about what had happened, but I was glad Eric had glamored them either way. It would have taken some time to get over the entire debacle, and while I remembered everything perfectly, their complete oblivion about it all helped me forget as well.

I couldn't help but feel anxious. A vampire knew my identity, and while he wasn't like most of them, he still was a vampire. It made me suspicious of Sam as well. I knew he was a shifter, would he know there was something up with me? I could only hope that he hadn't lived long enough to experience mermaids and didn't even know we existed.

Even though it wasn't busy, I made a decent amount of tips that night. I convinced my friends to stay until closing time so I could drive home with them as I didn't really wanted to be alone in the dark. It wasn't like my friends could offer me much protection, but it made me feel more at ease.

I told my friends goodbye, promising I would come over tomorrow for drinks and a movie, and continued to walk up my drive way. Ever since we went to Fangtasia I kept all the lights on, and even though Eric said it didn't work, I kept a can of pepperspray in my hand while I unlocked the door.

As I stepped inside, something crunched beneath my feet. I looked down to find a brown folder on the ground. It must have been slipped under the door, but I couldn't help but wonder why, since my mailbox was right next to the road.

I reached down to grab it, closing the door behind me first, and continued to the living room. There was no name on the front of the folder, and no return address on the back. It seemed like it hadn't been delivered by the mailman, but by someone else.

With my curiosity growing I ripped open the folder, taking out the smooth paper what was inside. I had expected something like a letter, but instead I found five photos inside. My eyes focussed on the first, and I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

The photos were of me, and to my horror, I was naked. The black and white picture depicted me, taking off my bra. The next one was of me, taking off my panties. The next one was me in the water, as was the fourth, but the final one took my breath away, and not in a good way. It was me again, but apart from my naked body, there was something more on the photo. It was my _mermaid tail._

"Motherfucker," I cursed out loud, gripping the pictures tightly between my finger. My blood was boiling as my skin grew hot. I couldn't believe he did this. Here I was, thinking he was unlike any other vampire I had met, but Eric was exactly the same.

I felt violated, but above all, I was scared. These pictures were taken during the day, which meant Eric had actually told someone about me and send them to do his dirty work. I immediately recognized from where they were taken, and I thought I had made absolutely sure there had been no one there.

My eyes scanned the final photo again. The tail was clearly visible, even though the picture was black-and-white. It shone brightly in the sun. Even I had to admit it was a perfectly timed picture, but I had no idea why he would send me this, without any note. Was he trying to blackmail me? Was this his perverted way of getting into my pants?

I sighed, trying to control my anger because I didn't feel like ruining my own plumbing like I had ruined Fangtasia's. I have had my run ins with vampires before, but this was a first. At least I could always claim the photos were photoshopped, or that it was a silly costume. Everyone knew mermaids only existed in fantasies, right?

Darkness had fallen outside, which meant that Eric was awake. I looked out of the window to my car. I wanted to have a relaxing bath to end the day on a positive note, but everything had turned sour in a matter of seconds. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

* * *

As always, there was a large line outside of Fangtasia. Only a few days before I stood among them, anxious to get in and get a taste of what vampires were like. Now I wished none of it had happened. If I had declined I would have never met Eric, and my identity would still be safe.

I had no intentions of joining the queue, instead, I went to the front (with protests from the people behind me) and confronted Pam, who was checking ID's again.

"I need to speak with Eric," I said, my voice stern, even though she probably wasn't very impressed by it.

"We all do, darling," Pam replied with a fake smile.

"Pam, I don't have time for games. I _really_ need to see him."

I guess Pam saw the determined look in my eyes, and even though it was reluctantly, she still stepped aside. The people in line began to shout in anger, but it took one look from Pam before they were silent again. I stepped past her, and headed in, right into the place I vowed to never visit again.

My work clothing felt oddly out of place, but that was okay because I wasn't here to fit in. My eyes rested on the door to the bathroom for a mere second, flashbacks of what had happened returning to my memory. I shook my head. No. I was here for answers, not for post traumatic stress.

Eric was seated on his usual spot: the throne. I barged over, not caring that I hit several people with my shoulder on my way over. When I stood finally before him, the pictures clutched between my fingers he looked at me.

"Serena," he said. I could tell he was surprised to see me here, and I had no idea why. Did he really think I would let this go?

"We need to talk," I demanded. "Now."

Luckily, Eric obliged. With incredible speed he stood next to me, and it wasn't until now that it dawned on me that this was the first time I was with him without protection ever since he found out what I was. My rage was partially transformed into a form of fear as he could do whatever he wanted with me now. No laws of property were protecting me.

When he placed his hand on the small of my back to guide him to his office, I shivered and quickly stepped aside. Eric seemed to acknowledge that I felt uncomfortable and didn't try again. Once we were in, he closed the door behind us and moved behind his desk.

"Talk," he then simply stated.

"What the fuck is this," I said, throwing down the folder on his desk.

Eric used his vampire speed again and before I could blink he had the pictures in his hand. As he looked at the first one, a smile unraveled on his lips, and I wanted nothing more but to hit him.

"Well, these are _excellent_ pictures, Serena."

But to my surprise, his smile disappeared like snow before the sun when he rested his gaze on the final one.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" I tried. "If you want my blood you know you can take it without asking. Is this a matter of principle for you?"

Eric ran his fingers through his hair as he studied the photo intensely.

"I didn't take these pictures, Serena."

"I'm not stupid Eric, I know these were taken during the day. Did you seriously tell someone about me? Are you deliberately trying to risk my life?"

"No. I had no one take these pictures. This wasn't me."

I ruffled my brows as my fingers started to play with the hem of my work t-shirt. Was this another cruel joke, like the pictures? I couldn't tell anymore, as vampires were notoriously hard to read.

"Then who did take them?"

Eric placed the photos back on his desk as he sat down behind it.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I said, growing impatient.

"I said, I don't know."

Eric's voice was laced with rage, and I wasn't sure if he was angry with me, or with whoever took these pictures. What I did know was that it had become very apparent that he hadn't ordered to have these pictures taken.

I sat down on the chair before the desk, rubbing my hands together. "This is bad, Eric. It's obvious you're not the only one who knows, and god knows how many people have seen these pictures by now."

"Was there no note?"

I shook my head. "The pictures were it."

He seemed to have been lost in thought, and I could only hope that years of wisdom would help him in solve this mystery.

"I know you can protect me during the night," I said, before quickly adding, "If I wanted to. But you can't during the day. These pictures were taken, during the _day_. And how did they know? The only people who had their suspicions were you, and Pam."

"It wasn't Pam," Eric replied immediately. "She would never do something like this."

"Maybe she unintentionally told someone else," I suggested, not trying to point any fingers, but merely make sense of the situation.

"Trust me, it wasn't Pam."

The words _trust me_ felt strange coming out of the mouth of a vampire and I wasn't sure if I could ever believe him. How could I trust him when I was able to keep my identity a secret for years, and now in a matter of a day it seemed like everyone knew.

"What do we do, Eric?"

"First of all, _you_ , do nothing," he said, continuing before I could protest. "I will take care of this."

The favors he owed me kept adding up.

"Eric, no offense, but if it wasn't for this stupid bar and that _fucking_ vampire, I would've never been in this position, so I feel a little conflicted about trusting you."

Within a split second he stood before me and I felt obliged to stand as well. My heart rate began to increase as his face was now closer to mine than it had ever been before. Nothing could hold him back when he attacked, and I wished I was wearing something like a scarf to at least cover my neck.

"You have no other choice but to trust me, Serena."

He had captured me with his gaze and I wasn't able to pull away, as if he was glamoring me anyway.

"Your word means more to me than your trust," I said, before realizing his face was now so close that if he was alive, I would have felt his breath on my skin. "Promise me you'll find whoever did this."

Eric didn't hesitate for a moment. "I promise."

"I'll leave you to it then."

I escaped his gaze and grabbed the pictures on the desk. Eric protested, claiming he still needed those but I knew better than to fall for his little games.

"Just remember what it looked like," I told him, not really feeling comfortable with leaving my nude pictures with him.

Before I was able to head out of the door, I could hear Eric speak behind me.

"Don't worry, I will."

* * *

That night, I couldn't sleep again. These vampires were costing me more sleep than I wanted to admit, and even though my body was tired, my mind wasn't. While I was glad Eric hadn't taken those pictures (unless he was lying, but something told me wasn't), I was still scared about the fact someone else had.

To avoid going completely insane, I told myself it had been sheer coincidence. Someone probably thought I was going skinny dipping and decided it would be funny to take some pictures. Little had they known that my legs would suddenly change into a tail.

But why send them to me? This part still remained a mystery to me, and I knew it was going to keep my up all night if I didn't push it out of my mind. I had to trust Eric on his words, and hope he would deliver. As afraid as I was to admit it, he was the only hope I had.

* * *

 **A/N:** Things are getting serious! The remainder of the first book will revolve about solving this mystery, which should bring her and Eric very close ;) I want to thank you for reading this story and leaving a review. I really love reading them and please let me know your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 5

Eric didn't return the following night, much to my annoyance. Ever since I received those pictures I felt anxious, even throughout the day where I once felt safe before. The pictures were still laying on the kitchen table, as a reminder there was someone or something after me.

The water behind my house went unused for the day. I didn't dare to transform anymore while the sun was out, and swimming at night was an equally bad idea. To satisfy my water needs, I drank liters of it. It wasn't the same as actually emerging myself under the water, but it helped.

I promised Jade and Allison to join them for a movie the night after. They had chosen to watch one of their favorite; Titanic. I hardly paid any attention while it was playing, focusing solely on my iPhone and my glass of wine. My water cravings were getting higher, and this particular film only added to it.

Initially, I didn't want to leave my house as I was still anxiously waiting for Eric to return with information. He had promised he would find out who had taken the pictures, and I was desperate to get closer to the truth. Likewise, I had promised my friends I would come, and I knew if he would return to see me, this house would be the second place he would look.

But when the film was finally over, no one had come, apart from the guy who had delivered our pizzas. I had to admit I was getting worried. Either he couldn't find anything, or his word to me had meant nothing.

I decided to give him another day. Taking into consideration he could only investigate during the night meant that perhaps I hadn't given him enough time yet. But if he didn't show tomorrow night, I would have no choice but to pay Fangtasia another visit.

The following morning, I woke up with my hands shaking. I needed the transform to my mermaid form as often as I could, but ever since the pictures I hadn't been in the water at all, and merely drinking it wasn't enough anymore to satisfy my needs. The stress was only making things worse, and I felt like a vampire without blood, or a junkie without their drug of choice.

I was getting desperate. In an attempt to get in the water, I let my bathtub run full. It was deep enough for me to emerge myself, but when I got in and my legs began to glue together it didn't take long for me to realize the bath was too small. While it fit my body, it wouldn't fit my tail which happened to be quite a bit longer than my legs were.

At least my quick transformation had taken the edge off, but it hadn't stopped my mind from being preoccupied with just two toughts; water, and Eric. I waited for the sun set again, and placed myself on the couch where I could look out of the window to see him arrive.

But like the other nights, Eric didn't come. I was growing impatient, and above all, angry. This was no way to live. I needed to be in the water, and since I had no idea who was stalking me during the day, it meant I had to go during the night, right when there were vampires on the loose.

I suddenly remembered Eric had offered me protection, and while I didn't particularly want it, I really wanted to swim. I needed to. If he could just protect me while I was doing my thing, it would at least solve this problem. But did I trust him enough to do something like this? Taking into account he hadn't seen someone like me for so long, I had no idea how he was going to respond. While Eric was old, was he hold enough to have enough self control to not drain me right then and there?

When midnight passed, I felt like I had no other choice. I downed another bottle of water and got into the car, telling myself desperate times call for desperate measures.

* * *

Pam was working at the door as always. She was wearing a black leather skirt, with a red tube top, He hair was straightened sleek, and her make up was impeccable. You could say much about vampires, but even I had to admit that most of them were incredibly attractive.

This time, she let me in immediately without any hesitation. I had no idea what Eric had told her about me, but I nodded gratefully and headed in. As expected, the place was packed, but unlike other nights, Eric couldn't be found on his throne. My eyes scanned the room. With his tall stature he shouldn't be hard to find, but after looking around thoroughly I couldn't find him anywhere.

Just as I was about to head outside again to ask Pam, she appeared besides me. I still had to get used to the fact they moved so fast, and above all, so silently.

"He's downstairs."

She pointed to a door which read 'Staff Only' and disappeared again.

I had seen quite a bit of Fangtasia by now, at least more than I wanted to, but I didn't even know they had some sort of a basement. To my surprise, the door wasn't locked, and I figured people here knew better than to go down. I opened it, revealing a flight of stairs leading downstairs. It was very dark, and I could hardly see the bottom of it, and for a moment I began to wonder if this was a trap.

Against my better judgement, I headed down anyway. By the time I reached the end, my eyes finally adjusted to the lighting.

I let out an audible gasp when I saw Eric before me, naked, on the ground, and on top of a woman. It didn't dawn on me until now that this wasn't simply a basement—it was a dungeon. After I managed to pull my gaze away from Eric's muscular back and firm backside, I noticed the chains hanging from the ceiling, and further in the back was something that almost looked like a torture device.

Eric had obviously heard me arrive. He got up and turned around, not ashamed of his completely naked body. I had to do my best from letting my eyes wander down, but I could still see he had a very well defined sixpack, and I had no words to describe the rest.

My eyes met with his, and I was greeted by a slightly amused grin.

"Serena," he spoke, taking a step forward. "Lovely to see you again. Care to join us?"

I looked past him to the brunette laying on the ground, waiting for him to return to whatever they were doing. And then when I had gotten over the incredibly awkwardness of this situation, I felt myself growing angry.

"What are you doing?" I snarled, continuing fast before he was able to reply with a witty response. "Why aren't you searching for whoever took those pictures?"

His grin disappeared. Eric motioned with his hand and the naked lady grabbed what looked like her torn up clothing, covered her private parts, and ran up the stairs, leaving us alone, _in a sex dungeon_.

I felt my muscles shaking, and even though it was quite cold down here, a light layer of sweat covered my forehead. I had never let it come so far before, and I truly felt like a junkie of some sort.

"I am searching, but I din't have any leads, not yet," Eric admitted.

I felt my hope of this ordeal being over soon crushed. If he couldn't find out who did it, then who could?

"So instead of expanding your investigation you decided it was a good time to fuck?"

I was surprised by my own feistiness, and blamed it on my withdrawal symptoms.

"Well, Serena, we all have needs that have to be satisfied."

"Yes, that was why I came here," I remembered, his naked body before me distracting me from the real reason I had come.

"Oh, you want to have sex?"

I rolled my eyes as I curled my fingers in a fist to stop them from shaking too violently.

"It's something else."

"Another favor?" Eric asked, raising his eyebrows. "When can I expect something in return?"

"Is seeing a mermaid for the first time in hundred of years not a reward?" I fired back, knowing that would spark his interest. "Since I'm not safe anymore during the day, I need to take my swim during the night, but that is when there are vampires around. I am asking if you are willing to protect me, and preferably, not drink me."

He seemed to take my remark into consideration for a moment before nodding. I knew he was incredibly curious and he would never let an opportunity like this pass—no vampire would.

"I'll meet you at your house," he then said.

I nodded as well. I spun on my heel, careful not to let my eyes wander down from his face, and headed up the stairs again. But before I was about to go, I turned myself to Eric one more time.

"Oh, and please put on some pants."

* * *

Eric was already waiting for my on my porch when I arrived with my car. I was glad to see he had covered up, wearing a pair of black jeans, and a black tank top which showed off his arm muscles. I felt his eyes burning on my skin as I made my way towards him. I couldn't believe I was actually allowing this to happen. A vampire was going to witness my transformation. This could either go right, or horribly wrong.

"Let's go," I said, cocking my head slightly, not wanting to waste any more time. I had already waited long enough for this.

I had hardly spoken the words and he already stood next to me. Now I had protection, I decided I could swim in one of the bigger bodies of water, where I could actually move, rather than just float for a bit. I pointed in the direction where I wanted to go, and in complete silence we walked over.

There was a lot of tension between us. I was scared, while Eric was excited. I knew I had the upper hand as long as I was in the water, but as soon as I came out of it, he would dominate me. But I came prepared. Earlier, I had found a hold hammer in the toolbox in the bag of my car, and with a saw I had cut off the end, leaving a make-shift stake made out of solid wood. While the edge wasn't particularly sharp, I knew I could hurt him if I tried hard enough.

With the stake tucked in my underpants, covered by my t-shirt, we arrived at the particular pond I wanted to swim in. Before I could do this, I needed to lay down some rules.

"Okay," I began, turning myself to him. "Since you have never done this before, I think it would be wise to inform you what's going to happen and what you can and cannot do, okay?"

Eric nodded. I decided to ignore the fact that he licked his lips.

"First, you can't come in the water while I'm in that state. It's been a while since I have swum with anyone else, let alone a vampire, and I don't know if I can contain my powers. Second, when I come out of the water, I will be vulnerable, and I would appreciate it if you kept your distance, for my own safety."

It took an enormous amount of trust to tell him all of this. It had been years, perhaps even decades, since I revealed my true identity to someone else other than myself. And while I had to admit the way his eyes scanned my body didn't make me feel entirely comfortable, I knew that if he wanted to taste my blood he would've done so by now. Especially now we were all alone in the swamp, covered in darkness.

"Clear?" I asked to be sure.

"Crystal clear," Eric confirmed.

I nodded, taking in a deep breath as I looked at the water on more time to check if there were any gators, but it appeared we were all alone.

"Could you please turn around while I get undressed?"

Eric chuckled darkly. "It's not like I haven't seen it before, Serena."

I was fully aware the photos were probably etched in his brain, but he didn't have to see the stake that I had brought with me.

"Please," I asked again.

Eric sighed disappointedly, but turned around nevertheless.

I immediately began to work on the laces of my shoes, kicking off my sneakers before taking off my t-shirt so I could hide the stake underneath. I placed my jeans on top, warned Eric not to peak, and took of my underwear.

The water was calling me. Without hesitation, I jumped in, and while I couldn't hear it anymore, I knew Eric would've turned around by now. My legs immediately stuck together and the transformation was quicker than I ever had it happened before. Due to the water deprivation, I had completely lost control of my abilities, and I decided to stay underwater for just a couple of minutes to calm myself down.

I was very glad the water here was fairly murky, and Eric wouldn't be able to see too much of me. I realized I had to show Eric some of me sooner rather than later, as a form of thank you for doing this for me, but I just wanted to stay underwater for a bit and work my muscles. I promised myself to never let it come this far again, and if this deal with Eric actually worked, we could do this more often.

After spending close to ten minutes emerged under water, I felt my cravings had been satisfied, and I felt like I was in control again. My muscles stopped shaking, and I didn't feel so incredibly hot anymore. The water had given me the fix I needed.

I had to give Eric a peek, I owned him as much. I swam towards the surface again, the air of the night hitting my skin. I kept my eyes closed for a second as I slicked my wet hair back. I always enjoyed breathing again after spending some time under water, which was perhaps my human side dominating me for a moment.

Before I opened my eyes to look at him, I listened carefully to my surroundings. I didn't hear anything move, which meant he still had to be at the exact same spot where I left him, and above all, no one had come this time to snap photos.

I had to admit I was a little anxious about returning to him, and showing off my tail. Perhaps this was what animals in a zoo felt like. Constantly observed, admired, but in addition I was also lusted for.

While swimming to the edge of the water, I purposely let my tail come above the surface, preparing him a little bit for what he was about to see. In the darkness it was almost translucent rather than a pale blue, and it didn't shimmer as much as it did in the sun, but still, after thinking mermaids were extinct, I had to look somewhat impressive.

When I reached the edge, my heart began to pound again, as if I suddenly felt embarrassed. I made sure my breasts were covered in the water, while I let my fins stick out of the water. Before lifting my eyes, I took in a sharp breath and held it until my gaze met with his.

I swallowed when I saw Eric. His fangs were exposed, to which I responded by moving a little further down in the water and pulling my fins under completely. With me in the water, he towered over me, but I knew that if he were to attack I was faster here than I was on land.

But while I thought I was only seeing hunger in his eyes, I realized it was more an intrigue, and he was more captivated than rapturous.

"Is it like you remember?" I said finally, breaking the silence between us.

Eric never pulled his gaze away from mine, and the intensity was shaking me.

"Better," he replied as he moved down to his knees before me. "Show me again."

I obliged and lifted my tail in the air while I rested my arms on the water's edge. I kept a close watch on him, ready to fall back if necessary.

"Tell me about the mermaids you knew."

"I only knew one," Eric said, his fangs shiny in the moonlight. I suddenly felt the urge to touch them. "She was very beautiful, like you, but with darker skin and hair black as the night. Her tail was a faint trace of red, and I remembered her voice was able to captivate men and women alike."

I pictured the mermaid in my head. The only ones I had ever seen where in pictures in children's books. They all looked the same, with sea shells covering the breasts and their tails in every color of the rainbow. Hearing how one truly had looked once many years ago, fulfilled me beyond anything I might have imagined.

"Her name was Francesca, and I was told she was the last mermaids known to vampires around. A few years later I heard she had passed away."

I knew that 'passed away' meant murdered, but I didn't let it show.

"But here _you_ are," Eric added. "Which means there are more."

The idea that there were more who shared the same abilities excited me beyond words. Growing up, knowing you were able to do things no one else could, had been terrifying. I had taught myself to control it, most of the times, and when researching my condition only I had a tough time dividing facts from fiction. Unlike vampires, mermaids were not supposed to exist, and there wasn't much information about us available.

My body had soaked up the water for a long time now, and I was ready to come out. So far, Eric hadn't killed me yet nor had he attempted to suck my blood. Still, I didn't want him so close when I got out, knowing it would take me a good minute to get my legs back.

"Could you wait at the house while I get changed?"

I formulated it as a question, but it really was more a demand.

Eric seemed to hesitate for a moment. He hadn't seen me as a whole yet, only flashes of my tail, but I didn't want to push my luck for today. Only this was already an immense step for me and my general trust in vampires.

Finally, he nodded, and within a split second he was gone. I waited a little bit to make sure he wasn't just hiding in the bushes, but I couldn't here any other sound apart from the water lapping against my body.

Once my legs had returned and I could safely stand up right again, I put on my underwear again. It was always a little hard, putting on clothes with a wet body, but I didn't feel like carrying a towel with me everything I did this. I pulled on my t-shirt, which wasn't long enough to cover my backside, but I couldn't be bothered to struggle putting on my skinny jeans.

I headed back, carrying the stake in one hand, covering it with my pants with the other. I had a sneaky suspicion this night wasn't over just yet.

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, this was one of my favorite chapters to write. Please let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Oh, and happy holidays :D


	7. Chapter 6

I found Eric sitting on the steps of my porch. As soon as I came into view, he stood up, and before I could blink he was standing before me. His eyes traveled down my body, but rested once again on the scar on my thigh.

"Tell me about how you got that," he asked.

"That's a story for another time," I said shaking my head. I already had so much on my mind with the pictures, and the fact that a vampire knew what I was, that I didn't really feel like delving into this matter right now. While it had happened a long time ago, I still remembered all of the details like it was yesterday.

I could tell he wanted to know now, but something stopped him from pushing. His fangs were still out, and as he took a step closer, I firmed my grip around the stake in my right hand.

In the darkness of the night, I had to admit, Eric was rather handsome. The light hit his face exactly in the right way, enhancing all his features, and even in the shadow his eyes seemed to shine. I never had a relationship of mutual respect with a vampire before, and it was scaring me.

Eric took another step forward, and began to lean in, cocking his head ever so slightly. His fangs were all I could concentrate on, and a nervous feeling took hold inside my stomach, making my mind spin. He was so close now that I could smell a faint hint of cologne lingering on his skin. I came to the conclusion that he was either going to kiss me, or bite me.

I let my jeans drop to the floor and pressed the stake against his chest. While I felt weirdly captivated by Eric, I couldn't allow this to happen. Both kissing and biting went against everything I believed in. He was a _vampire_.

Eric looked down to the stake, ruffling his brows, before an amused grin replaced the confusion.

"I can't allow you to do this," I explained.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Eric defied, but his fangs told me otherwise.

The stake didn't seem to scare him. He remained in the exact same position he had been. To show I was serious, I pushed a little harder. It would need a lot more pressure to drive it through him, but I wasn't trying to kill him. Just a solid warning that I was off-limits.

"You've seen a mermaid in the flesh, that is enough excitement for this night," I said, raising my eyebrows. "Besides, don't you have an investigation to return to?"

Finally, Eric stood up straight again. He chuckled. "You're right. Although I can't deny I'd love to see more of you. Perhaps we can do this again a different time?"

"Perhaps," I echoed.

"I'll come back when I know more."

"You better be back tomorrow then," I was able to get out before he disappeared again.

* * *

These nightly outings with Eric really started to take toll on my body. Once again, I didn't fell asleep until very late as my mind kept replaying the evening over in my head. I wanted to applaud myself for my courage by showing Eric the real me, but at the same time I wanted to kick myself for being so stupid. Vampires were my number one enemy, what the hell was I thinking?

Not to mention he had been either trying to kiss or bite me. I wasn't sure what I would rather want it to be, admit I would be attracted to a _vampire_ , or end up as a late night snack. I mean, I couldn't lie. Eric was very attractive, charming, and he had a sense of humor I had never encountered in a vampire before. Plus the fact that he seemed to have met someone like me before made me drawn to him.

I couldn't allow myself to let this happen, and I promised myself I would only go to Fangtasia, or see Eric when absolutely necessary. No exceptions.

* * *

I slept in until it was almost time for me to leave for work. While my body was still tired, I didn't mind going as it would at least keep me busy. But as the bar filled with guests, I couldn't help but feel a little paranoid. Never before did I ever wonder someone would might know who I was, but every time someone so much as glanced my way I felt my heart starting to pound. It always meant they just wanted a refill, yet I couldn't control myself.

Apparently, my worry showed. After a couple of hours Sam pulled my aside and asked me if there was something wrong. I wanted nothing more but to to clear my conscience as I had no one to talk to. At least he was a supernatural being as well, perhaps he would understand… But what was I going to tell him? I was being stalked by someone who found out my age old secret and I was growing closer with a vampire, not sure if he was interested in me for myself, or for the fact that I was a mermaid and he just wanted my blood?

Instead of confessing everything that was on my mind, I shook my head and told him I had a rough night (which technically wasn't a lie) and that he shouldn't worry.

"If any of the guests give you any problems, they have me to answer for," he told me, and I had to admit it made me feel better. If anything, Sam was a fine boss and I knew that I could trust him.

My make shift stake became my accessory of choice when darkness fell. I didn't went home until everyone apart from Sam, and my colleague Arlene, had left, and I was very much looking forward to sleeping again. I had kept a close watch on my phone, but Eric hadn't called me. The lack of progress was making me rather annoyed, but there was nothing I could do about it. In fact, perhaps it would be good to not see him for a day.

I returned to a darkened drive way. I particularly remembered leaving the lights on when I left, I had done so ever since I had been to Fangtasia for the first time. I told myself not to get paranoid over every tiny little thing, and figured the lightbulb had broken while I was gone.

To be safe, I still carried the stake in one hand, and the pepperspray in my other. If it didn't work against vampires, it would work against everyone and everything else.

I unlocked and opened the front door and went inside to check the switch, but darkness remained. Thinking back, I remembered putting in one of them fancy LED-lights which were supposed to last me years and years. I could scarcely believe it had broken already.

I ventured outside again and went to check the light itself. I stood on my toes to reach it, and was taken by surprise when I felt the warmth of the bulb on my fingers which meant it hadn't been off for such a long time. It was almost as if someone had taken it out, and I wasn't sure why. My brows ruffling, I screwed it back in place and immediately my porch was lit up again.

It wasn't until now that my eyes fell on something on the exterior of my house. I took a step back and cocked my head slightly.

When I comprehended what it actually was, my mouth fell open in horror. The entire side of my house was smeared with red paint, mimicking blood. The separate letters formed a simple, yet terrifying word.

 _Freak_.

My fingers didn't know how fast they could grab my iPhone from my back pocket, immediately dialing Fangtasia's number. When Pam confirmed Eric was on his way I decided it would be wise to take pictures of the artwork defacing my house, figuring it could be of help in the future since I wanted this gone as soon as possible.

Calling the police was a thought that crossed my mind. If Eric failed to help me, perhaps they could. But then I remembered I had to explain why someone would paint the word _freak_ in red paint on my house and I let the idea slide.

For the moment I was very grateful for vampire's super speed ability. Within a couple of minutes, Eric stood next to me, admiring the paint job I had received.

"It had to have happened while I was at work," I started, not bothering with hellos, the potential kiss or dinner that almost happened still burned in my mind.

"I think you need to invest in security cameras," Eric replied.

I considered the suggestion, but then came to the conclusion I couldn't.

"I can't let them win," I stated. "I'm already walking around with weapons every time I go out of the door. If I do this, it means they have won. They're trying to scare me, and so far they are doing a very good job."

Eric turned himself to me, and I was ashamed to admit that his striking blue eyes did something to me. It shook me to my core and I had to look away for a minute and remind myself that he was a _vampire_ and I could become his late-night snack.

"You don't have to be afraid, Serena. I will find out who it is, I promise you that."

While he had always kept his word so far, Eric was definitely taking his time.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up before something gets out. I feel so paranoid at work. Afraid that anyone who looks at me knows. And now _this_? How far will they go to humiliate me? If this continues it leaves me no other choice but to move away again."

 _I don't want to move away_. It had been years since I truly felt at home somewhere. Bon Temps had managed to keep me safe for a long time. I had friends here, a good and stable job, a nice house, and enough water to relieve me of my needs. This place was good for me, and I couldn't let some practical jokers ruin it all.

Eric lifted his arms and cupped my cheeks with both his hands. The coldness of his skin felt like a shock to mine, and for a mere moment my mind panicked, fearing this was the moment he would finally let his fangs sink in my flesh.

But when I met his gaze I saw something I never expected to see in the eyes of a vampire. _Compassion_.

"I will keep you safe," he said, almost hypnotizing me. "I just need time to solve this mystery. Anyone who touches you will get hurt."

I could do nothing but nod and believe him. Eric had a way with words, and he could be very persuading when he wanted to, even without glamoring me.

His hands were still resting on my cheek, and I felt myself transported back to the night before. Did I want him to kiss me? One part of me screamed yes, while the other yelled no. This went against everything I was led to believe, but it was also part of the danger that excited me. Whenever a threat unveiled itself in my life, I ran away, and started my life again something else. I had to admit I was tired of it. I didn't want to this anymore. I wanted to embrace my supernatural side like the vampires could, and there was no one else in this world who could help me better than Eric.

Just when I was about ready for him to lean in, he dropped his hands to his side and turned himself back to my paint-smeared wall.

"You should go to sleep," he said, not looking at me again. "I'll get this cleaned up."

Was I disappointed he hadn't tried kissing me? Confused by my own feelings, I headed towards the door. While I didn't know what I was supposed to think, I did know that arguing with Eric was pointless, and honestly, I was glad for a long night of uninterrupted sleep.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

"Sweet dreams, Serena," Eric replied, the corners of his mouth curling into a comforting smile.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for the support so far! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter :) Please let me know your thoughts and take care 3


	8. Chapter 7

My house looked almost like it had been repainted the following morning. The red letters were gone, and I could only hope no one had seen it. I hadn't heard Eric at all, and had quickly fallen asleep as these late nights were really starting to take a toll on my body. Now it was light outside again, I could see how thoroughly he had cleaned it. The physical evidence was gone, but I was very glad I had taken pictures. If I ever needed to go to the police at least I had proof all of this had happened and I wasn't making it up.

I didn't have to come into work today, but there was something I needed to do. While Eric promised me he would find out who had been tormenting me the past week, things weren't moving fast enough to my liking. I had come to Bon Temps to live in freedom, not in fear, and if he wasn't able to help me, there was no other choice for me but to take matters into my own hands.

Sam was stocking shelves in the back when I entered Merlotte's. I had driven over here as soon as I could, waiting outside for him to unlock the doors. I was earlier than the rest of the staff, and there were no guests yet at this hour, which was perfect. I didn't want anyone overhearing our conversation, for both me and Sam's sake.

"Serena," Sam said, placing a box down on the ground before turning himself to me when I appeared in the kitchen. "What are you doing here? You don't have a shift today."

"I know," I nodded, twisting my fingers together. What I was about to do could go horribly wrong, and I would be lying if I wasn't a little nervous. "Can we talk in your office?"

Sam nodded, probably sensing I was about to ask something rather serious, and followed me to his office. He proceeded by sitting down on the edge of his desk while I remained standing in front of him, my eyes focused on his as I was quietly debating if I really wanted to confront him like this.

"I need to tell you something," I finally said. "There is something I know… About you…"

His eyes widened ever so slightly, trying to keep a straight face, as if he didn't want to let me know that my suspicions were true. But I knew better.

"I know you are a shifter."

Sam crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked to the ground to let the revelation sink in. He remained calmer than I expected, which made me wonder if he already knew what I was.

"How long have you known?" he asked, looking up again.

"Ever since I came here," I admitted. "But that isn't the only reason I needed to talk to you."

I repositioned myself as I was looking for the words to speak. Now I outed him as a shifter, I was about to do the same for myself. Could I trust Sam with that information? I had no idea, but if Eric managed to keep his mouth shut, Sam could do the same. Perhaps it was some kind of unwritten rule of the supernatural species.

"The past couple of days, someone has been tormenting me. I received very intruding pictures of myself, and last night I came home to find the word _freak_ painted all over my house."

I could see Sam was struggling to keep up, which confirmed he _didn't_ know what I was, much to my relief.

"It's because I'm a supernatural as well, Sam. I'm a mermaid."

Sam's brows ruffled as he rubbed his hands over his cheeks. "Mermaid? I thought they went extinct a long time ago."

"As far as I know, I'm the only one," I replied. "Considering my position, I don't want anyone to know about me, and now someone does. Do you perhaps have any idea who could do this? Other shifters? Werewolves?"

Sam shook his head. "Serena, if it is any consolation, I had no idea you were like me, so I doubt anyone else is able to notice. I have no idea why anyone would do this. As you probably know, I try to keep a low profile and don't meet up with others like us that often. Are you sure it's not a vampire?"

"I'm sure," I said, even though there was definitely still a chance Eric would be lying to me. "And the pictures were taken during the day, so if it was a vampire they were working with someone else."

He let out a sigh before speaking again. "I'm really sorry I can't help you, Serena."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice, which was very comforting. I didn't have anyone to talk to about my condition, but Sam came close. At least he knew what it felt like to live in secret, and above all, feel like an outsider.

"I will definitely keep my ears open, okay?"

I nodded and forced a smile on my lips. While I was glad he had taken this all so well, I was definitely disappointed he didn't know anything either. I had been hoping for some kind of breakthrough that could speed the process of investigation along, but alas.

"Thank you, Sam."

He stepped forward and touched my arm with his fingers.

"If you ever feel unsafe, or just need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay? We'll find whoever is doing this."

* * *

I was craving water again. It was like the stress in my life only made it worse, and it left me with no other choice but to call Eric. Nothing had happened last time, and it convinced me this could work again. I also didn't want to fully admit it, but I really wanted to see him again, and what better way than to get naked and be vulnerable to predators?

He answered the phone himself. I told him I was having some problems with my water supply, which meant enough to him to understand why he needed to come. I knew he couldn't resist another opportunity to see me like that, and as I expected he got down to my house within a whim.

"That was fast," I said as I stepped down the porch. I had already undressed and was wearing only a towel to cover up my body. I hadn't even thought about bringing my stake, but if it went anything like last time I wouldn't need it. It felt strange to admit it, but I did really trust Eric, the vampire.

"Speed is just one of my perks," Eric teased, turning himself towards the body of water we used last time. "Shall we?"

I nodded, made sure my towel was fitted tightly, and came to stand next to him as we went to my usual spot.

"Has anyone seen the paint on your house?" Eric asked, keeping his gaze straight ahead as we spoke. I didn't know if he was just paying attention to potential photographers, or if he couldn't look at me because he knew I was naked underneath.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. "You cleaned it up nicely."

He didn't respond with a "you're welcome", not that I had expected any less. The silence between us persisted until we reached the edge of the water. I wasn't sure if it was tension between us, or awkwardness. Was there something he knew that I didn't?

"You know the rules. Don't come into the water and stand back when I come out, okay?"

Once Eric had nodded his head, I turned around, my back towards him, and let the towel drop. He had seen me naked anyway, and considering I always swam around naked, I never had been prudish. I let my toe dip in the water, noticing it was colder than it usually was, and dropped in completely, immediately allowing the process of transformation begin.

After I felt my energy replenished, I returned to the surface of the water again. Eric was still in the exact same position where I had left him, and just like last time, his fangs were striking in the night. Where they once scared me, they no longer did. There was no way I wanted to get bitten, but I had learned that it didn't particularly mean hunger, it could mean lust as well.

"No one here?" I asked, keeping my chin just above the water.

"All safe," he replied, his eyes following my closely as I swam to the edge.

"I have some news, regarding the investigation," I began carefully, remaining safely in the water where I was stronger than he was. "I asked a shifter if he perhaps knew anything or heard anything, but he said he didn't. So maybe, my stalker is coming from outside of Bon Temps, or even further than Shreveport."

"You asked a shifter?" Eric remained standing which made him seem like a giant from my angle.

"Yes," I nodded.

"You told the shifter about your situation?"

"Yes," I repeated. I began to grow a bit worried as I heard a hint of anger in his voice.

"I was handling the investigation, Serena. You shouldn't interfere."

I scoffed, slightly offended. "You know this is about my life, right? I think I am allowed to do what I want."

He then crouched down on his knees, his eyes demanding me to look at him, and like usual, I couldn't look away.

"You shouldn't tell anyone else what you are. It puts you in danger. How do you know he can be trusted?"

"I trusted you," I hit back. "If I can do that then I can trust anyone."

I felt myself drop down slightly in the water as he seemed to lean forward.

"Besides, like you haven't told anyone else. Pam? You're her maker, aren't you?"

I knew how vampires were made, or rather, created. Generally, they weren't very affectionate to anyone but their progeny, or basically, their children. I had seen Eric with Pam, and I figured their warmhearted relationship hadn't been a coincidence.

"I haven't told anyone else."

His words were cold, and they stung. He hadn't? I let my eyes drop down, kicking myself for underestimating Eric once again. One day, it was going to cost me. Angering a vampire was one thing, but offending was another.

"You haven't?" I set carefully before letting my eyes meet him again. I felt like a deer staring down the headlights of a car.

"I would never put your life at risk like that," Eric stated. "It is too valuable."

I wanted to be flattered, and deep down I was, but on the other hand, his words were making me think. Did Eric not want to put me, as a human being at risk, or me, as a mermaid supernatural being? While I was glad he wanted to keep me alive, I wasn't sure if it was for the right reasons.

"Why?" I found myself saying. "Why would you care what I tell other people. If I die, I die. As far as anyone knows, mermaids are supposed to be extinct. What would change if I was gone?"

"I care," Eric began, "because as I have told you, I knew a mermaid once. She was rather… special, unlike anyone I had ever met at that point. I cared for her, deeply."

"You loved her."

My words weren't a question, but rather an observation. The way his eyes lit up in both grief and admiration as he spoke was enough to convince me. I always believed vampires weren't capable of love, but by now I should've known Eric wasn't like any of the others I had ever come to know.

He didn't respond, and pushed himself upwards from the ground, arching his back as he looked around the swamp.

"I should probably head back to Fangtasia."

I nodded, wanting to tell him to stand back but he did so by himself. Eric moved closer towards my house, even turning his back towards him. I had definitely stuck a cord by proclaiming he had once loved someone, and it wasn't the right one.

My legs returned to me fairly quick. I wrapped myself in the towel again and headed through the swamp until I saw Eric again. He was watching me from a distance, and before I could come any closer or say anything to persuade him to stay, he shot up straight into the sky.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for the support! I really appreciate it, and I'm really happy you're all enjoying the premise of this story. Please let me know what you thought, and until next time. Take care 3


	9. Chapter 8

Everything had been quiet the next few days. I didn't see Eric, and was completely left alone by my stalker. To keep my mind occupied, I picked up an extra shift at Merlotte's, and hung out with my friends after abandoning them for too long. For a moment, it almost felt like I had my own life back again.

I actually was really glad I had told Sam about what I was. During my first shift, he had pulled me aside and asked if I received any new messages. I told him I hadn't and began to wonder if it was all over. Perhaps Eric had found whoever had done it anyway and killed them without informing me. All in all, it was nice to have a friend to talk to, as my girlfriends would never understand since Eric glamored them. As far as they knew, they had never ever even been to a vampire bar before.

My mind kept replaying what Eric had said. Not only had he once loved someone else but his progeny, she had also been a mermaid. While it was definitely striking news to me, it seemed like Eric was uncomfortable with the idea that I attributed feelings to him—a vampire that wasn't supposed to have feelings.

It was during my extra shift that my iPhone's screen lit up. Normally, I never checked my phone during work, but since I was still waiting to hear back from Eric I asked Sam if it was okay if I kept it with me.

I unlocked it and immediately tapped on the unread message I had. Just when I figured out it wasn't one of my friends, my breath got trapped in my throat and my eyes widened. The text came from an anonymous number, so I had no idea who it had been and I couldn't call it, or text back.

My fingers were shaking as I opened it, that feeling of safety and familiarity I had felt a minute ago gone. Someone had sent me a video, without message. I looked around to see if I was alone, and pushed myself against the wall, turning up the volume a tiny bit so I could hear it just myself.

It was like the photos all over again, except this time, they caught Eric as well. The video showed myself, my tail coming above the water every now and again, speak with Eric. We were looking intense, which was why he hadn't perhaps heard whoever had been shooting this. Judging by the grainy quality of the video, they had to have been really far away.

I felt nauseous. For a day, I had hope that it might have stopped, but it only seems to get worse. I pressed the phone against my chest, going through my options which all led to one conclusion: I had to show Eric. This not only affect me, but him, as well.

I found Sam speaking to one of our usual customers Hoyt Fortenberry. He didn't have to as much look at me, before he pulled me to his office, my expression being enough to see my worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I have to go, I'm sorry," I said, still clutching the phone in my hand.

"Do you need me to go with you?" Sam suggested.

I shook my head. I hadn't told him about Eric yet, and I didn't want him to worry more than he already did. Even he had to know that me and vampires, and pretty much any other supernatural being, was a horrible combination.

"I'll be fine. I just need to go now."

"Okay," Sam nodded. "Just call me when you need me, okay? Don't do anything stupid."

I had already done many stupid things, and I feared I was about to anger a vampire even more than I already had.

* * *

There was someone else working the door, but as soon as I said my name and told him I had something Eric really needed to see, he stepped aside without as much as an argument. The only positive part about this entire ordeal: I seemed to have been granted VIP-treatment at Fangtasia.

I suddenly felt a firm grip around my wrist before I was pulled towards Eric's office in incredible speed. It wasn't until I had come to a standstill again, and my head had stopped spinning, that I realized it had been him.

"Eric," I said, slightly out of breath. "I have something you need to see."

I grabbed my iPhone from my back pocket and opened the video, playing it for him.

Instead of focusing on the video, I placed my eyes on his face, watching his expression closely. But like many vampires, it didn't change at all. They were so incredibly hard to read, that I couldn't tell if he was angry, disappointed, or perhaps impressed that someone managed to capture this while he hadn't noticed.

"This is problematic," he said when the video finished.

I put the phone away again and crossed my arms in front of my chest, nodding in agreement.

"Before you ask—no, I hadn't heard anything," Eric then said before I had the chance to speak. "I have to admit that once you are transformed, you are rather… _distracting._ "

My cheeks flushed red, and I took in a deep breath. This was both flattering and terrifying at the same time.

"So what do we do now?" I asked to break the tension that was growing between us.

"Nothing."

Eric stepped aside and sat down on the edge of his desk, stretching his legs out in front of him as he continued to watch me closely.

"Nothing?" I asked, not sure if I heard that correctly the first time.

"Yes," Eric nodded. "I'll continue the investigation. You should continue your life as you would normally. Don't give in to them, that's what they want."

"Well, it's getting harder, and harder," I admitted. Realizing I didn't want to think about this at all, I changed the subject. "What do you know so far?"

"Whoever is doing this, they're not supernaturals like us."

I ruffled my brows as I let his words sink in. While it coincides with the fact that Sam hadn't heard or seen anything either, it was hard to believe that a human without any special abilities had the capability to anguish me to this level. It also made me wonder if they had any idea who they were dealing with.

"Are you sure?" I asked to be safe.

"Yes," Eric said. "Everything I have done, everyone I have asked. It all led to nothing. That leaves only one options of people I didn't ask—the humans."

"Either way. We severely underestimated their power. Now they even have _you_ on video."

"What video?"

I shot around to find Pam standing in the doorway. She was wearing a pink pencil skirt and high heeled pumps while her hair was curled to perfection. I cursed under my breath when I realized she had heard more than she probably should.

Eric came to stand besides me, making me feel safer. I decided it would be best to let him do the talking, as I had no idea what he had told Pam about me and what he hadn't.

"We were captured on film together," he simply stated.

"And that is a problem _because_."

"You know I can't be spotted meddling with a human."

Even though I technically wasn't human, it stung a bit. There definitely was a stigma regarding humans dating vampires, and considering no one could know what I really was, it would seem I would fall under the latter. One of them obsessed fangbangers wanting to get laid and do anything to get their blood sucked. If he couldn't be seen with me… _No._ I stopped my mind from going there. I wasn't even sure how I felt about him, how could I already be thinking about things like that?

"You have to watch out, Eric. I don't understand why you allow to get so much shit for this _human_? First the vampire you killed, and now a sex tape?"

I wanted to protest at the sex tape part, but I decided wisely to shut my mouth.

"Pam, could you please go outside, so I can finish talking to her?" Eric said somewhat annoyed.

"No," Pam defied, crossing her arms in front of her as she took a stand. "Not until you tell me why she is so special."

I bit my lip as my eyes widened. I wanted to take a step back as I wasn't planning on getting in between a vampire fight, but I didn't want to come across as suspicious. The only thing I could do was trust Eric could talk his way out of this.

"I can't," he admitted. "It will get clear in due time, but I can't right now."

It was the first time I had ever seen Pam speechless. For a moment, I expected her to attack him, either verbally or physically, but she remained standing with controlled poise. Eric was her maker, and anything he would say to her, she had to accept, whether she wanted it or not.

"I need you to leave us alone."

Pam looked at me one last time, her eyes scanning the entirety of my body as if she was searching for something, a mere detail, that made me so special. Perhaps she hadn't been made until the last mermaid had already died, and she didn't even know of our existence. Either way, I prepared myself for the fact it wouldn't be very long until Pam would also realize what I was.

She left reluctantly. I couldn't blame her for wanting to know what was happening. Her maker was visiting a human without a clear reason why. The lack of bite marks in my neck indicating he hadn't bitten me, so if not for blood, what would he do with me?

But then the words she had spoken sunk in, and I had to ask him.

"Wait a minute," I said. "Did Pam mean to say you got in trouble over the vampire you killed?"

"Yes," Eric said, without hesitation.

We were standing close to each other, our bodies were almost touching. I couldn't bring myself to take a step back and instead found myself lost in his gaze again.

"We can't just kill other vampires."

"Even if it's self-defense?" I asked, ruffling my brows. I had no idea there was such a thing as a vampire law to which they had to adhere.

Eric nodded slowly.

I let out a trapped breath, glancing at my feet before looking up again. I couldn't do this to him. This was my problem, and I didn't want him to end up going to jail over this (if there was a vampire law, there had to be a vampire prison, right?). Eric cared about preserving my species, I knew that. But was it all worth it? There was a much simpler solution to it all…

"Look. I don't want you to get into trouble over me. If you don't want to do any of this again, I fully understand, and I don't blame you. Just say the word, and I can solve this myself. I'll move away like I've always done. Get a new passport, start a new life. I don't mind. Truly."

Eric responded by cupping by cheeks with his hands. A shock rippled down my spine from both the contact, and the coldness of his fingertips. He forced me to look at him, and as I did my best to read him, I guessed he was both offended, and disappointed at the same time.

"Serena. I will not abandon you. Even if you were _just_ a human, I would have killed the vampire either way. You can't move. You shouldn't run. Stay, and fight this. We'll fight this together."

It was like he glamored me. I could only nod and tell him okay. Truth to be told, I didn't want to move away either, but I was willing to sacrifice myself if it meant everything here could go back to normal. The fact that Eric didn't seem to want me to go, delighted me more than it probably should.

And then he leaned in, pulling my face closer to his as his lips captured mine with a surprising amount of delicacy. My head was screaming no as loud as it could, but my body was already pressed against his. One of his hands traveled down to the small of my back and pulled me as close as I could go.

I had never kissed a vampire before. I had never kissed a supernatural before either, for that matter. People always prided vampires for being excellent lovers, and even with this tiny amount of experience, I couldn't help but agree.

Eric's kisses were as intense as he was himself, with enough character to surprise me. It wasn't as rough as I imagined it to be, and he managed to place his lips repeatedly on mine, letting our tongues meet every time, without exposing his fangs.

I took me some time to come over the initial shock, and when it did, I managed to pull myself away. I placed my hands in his chest, and created some space between us. I had to listen to my head for once. This was wrong. It could result in my death if I wasn't careful, and even taking all of that into consideration, I couldn't explain why it felt so incredibly good.

* * *

 **A/N:** I bet this is a moment a lot of you had been waiting for! I loved writing this chapter and I loved the internal struggle Serena has as she knows vampires are extremely dangerous to her. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter as well! Please leave a review with your thoughts and until next time! :D


	10. Chapter 9

Eric insisted on taking me home and who was I to say no to him. He repeatedly told me he didn't care that we were spotted together. It wouldn't matter to him as he had nothing to hide, _but I had everything to hide_.

It had also occurred to me that Eric might have kissed me for the wrong reasons. It was safe to say that it had made me very confused. Did he like me for me, Serena, a human with special abilities; a mermaid which were thought to be extinct; or someone who happened to look like a former love. There were three options, and I wasn't sure which one I would rather want it to be.

Never before had I developed feelings for a vampire. While deep down something was still screaming that I shouldn't be in a car with him without protection, I also couldn't help but glance at his (very handsome) face every now and again, finding his eyes glued on my face.

I was lost when we returned home. What did the kiss mean? Would he kiss me again? What if our relationship put me at even more risk than I already was? What if he wouldn't be able to stop himself and he would accidentally bite me?

Potential scenarios were racing through my mind, until Eric opened the car door for me as he got there before me with supersonic speed. I felt my cheeks reddening as I wasn't used to this kind of chivalry.

We continued down the driveway and headed up the porch, stopping in front of the door. My heart started to race as various scenes of what could happen kept flashing through my mind. I was seriously debating inviting him in. The kiss left me wanting for more, and I knew Eric wouldn't say no.

I could tell he was aching as bad for me as I was for him. His eyes slithered up and down my body, taking in every inch while flexing his fingers as if he was repressing the urge to touch me.

But I couldn't. Kissing a vampire was enough excitement, thrill seeking and rule breaking for one night. So instead, I stood on my toes, and let my lips brush his ice cold cheek, which was enough to send tingles down my spine again.

"Call me when you have more information?" I said after opening the door.

Eric only nodded, and didn't leave until I closed the door behind me again and I was safely inside.

* * *

The following morning I was rudely woken up by my doorbell. As it sunk in that the bell wasn't ringing in my dreams, but in real life, I groaned and rolled out of bed. The sun was already up, and judging by the warmth pouring inside it was already late in the morning. This vampire business was really messing with my sleep schedule.

I slipped on my silk bathrobe, put on my slippers, and hurried down the stairs and towards the door. My breath must smell horrible, and my hair was probably a mess, but there had been no time to fix it as the bell kept on being rung impatiently.

"I'm coming," I said loud enough so whoever was on the other side could hear.

My fingers fumbled with the lock of the door and unlocked it, swinging it open to reveal to uniformed officers standing before me.

"Can I help you?" I asked distrustingly, ruffling my brows as I shifted my weight to one leg to prevent my robe from falling open.

"Uh, yes, ma'am," one of the police offers took a step forward and adjusted his tie. "We got an anonymous call that you were having some kind of problem. Has anyone been bothering you lately, ma'am?"

My heartbeat slowly increased. An anonymous tip? Why the hell would anyone inform the police about my stalker? I could get into major trouble over this, and so could Eric. The only other person than us two who knew what was going on was Sam. Had he really called the cops on me?

"Uh, no," I lied, forcing a smile on my lips. "Everything is fine."

I had no idea what Sam had told them. The cops didn't seem to believe me and continued to ask questions if someone had come to the house recently, or if I had received unwanted attention. Strange phone calls? E-mails with inappropriate content?

"I don't know who called you, but I assure you that I am absolutely fine," I said, trying my best to sound as convincing as I could.

"Well then," the officer said, finally giving in. "If someone happens to _do_ bother you, you call us, okay?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"Have a fine day, ma'am," the other one said before they both spun on their heels and descended down my porch.

"You too," I said after them.

As soon as I heard their car drive away and it was all silent again, I hurried inside, threw my bathrobe on the ground and slipped into the nearest pair of shorts and a t-shirt I could find. Brushing my teeth and doing my hair had to wait for now.

I had a word to speak with Sam Merlotte.

* * *

It was too early yet for the bar to be open, but I knew where to find him. My car came to a halt with screeching tires, a cloud of dust forming behind my path. With my eyes set on his trailer I barged over. I couldn't believe he would do this. How could he put myself at risk like that?

I knocked impatiently on the flimsy door, and it didn't take long before Sam appeared.

"What are you doing here, Serena?" he asked, completely oblivious for the anger I was about to pour down on him.

"How could you do that?" I said, slapping his chests with both of my hands before I stepped inside.

Sam turned around and raised his arms in the air, shrugging slightly.

"I had to, Serena. You're living in a constant state of fear. Whatever is happening to you—it has to stop."

"And it doesn't stop with you calling the police!" I hissed. "What if they saw them at my house? What if they think I called them? Things will only get worse from now on."

"You don't know that," Sam hissed back, taking a step forward towards me. "I had to step in. I couldn't let them do this to you."

"I was taking care of it!"

My voice was growing louder as my blood was boiling. I knew Sam had meant well, but he had no idea what he had gotten himself into. The police should've never come to my house. They knew something was up now. Every time I would behave suspiciously, they would notice. And seeing as how there are always cops dining and drinking at Merlotte's, it wouldn't be hard for them to spot.

"Sam, you shouldn't have done this. Eric is leading the investigation, and I trust he will find out who it is. I don't need the cops breathing down my neck. They can't know what I am."

"Wait a minute," Sam said, ruffling his brows as he stroked his beard with his hands. "Eric? You mean, _Eric Northman?_ "

I nodded.

Sam let out a giggle, but it wasn't because this was all very funny. He sounded like he couldn't believe I was placing my trust in him.

"Serena, you're a fucking _mermaid_. You shouldn't be hanging around vampires in the first place—let alone letting them do your business for you. What are you thinking?!"

"I know how odd it sounds," I defended. "But Eric isn't like the other vampires. He hasn't hurt me, and he cares about protecting the mermaid species. He's helping me, and I do trust him."

"You should let the cops handle this and get the hell away from that vampire, Serena," Sam warned. "I have never met a vampire who would help someone for anyone else but themselves. He's doing this because he wants to get a taste of your blood. He's going to get you killed, I have no doubt about it."

"Well," I started, throwing my hands up. "Let's just agree to disagree then. And I would very much appreciate it if you stop messing with my business. I had it all under control, Sam."

I spun on my heel, fumbled with the door of the trailer, and stepped outside. Before I left, I popped my head in once final time.

"Oh, I'm not coming in to work tonight. I gotta take care of this shitstorm."

* * *

It seemed to take ages before darkness fell. I occupied myself by catching up on my favorite tv shows (Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead) and cooking a nice dinner for myself, which I felt like I deserved and I now had the time for since I wasn't working.

Sam hadn't called me back, and when Merlotte's opened I got a text from the cook Lafayette asking where I was. I told him that I didn't feel good and I would be back tomorrow evening, but I had no idea if I was willing to see Sam again. I needed to take care of the cops knowing something was wrong, and I had no idea how long that was going to take.

When the sun was setting behind the trees, covering my garden into a blanket of redness, I tried to dial Fangtasia already. Even though I knew vampires couldn't be out until it was fully dark, I had a hope they might have employed a human who could pass the message along to Eric.

And against my expectations, someone actually picked up the phone.

"Fangtasia, how may I help you?" a female voice said on the other side of the line.

I was a little shook by the fact someone actually had picked up and I was now struggling with what to say.

"Uh, who am I speaking to?" I asked to allow myself a little more time to think.

"It's Ginger."

"Ah, Ginger. I was hoping to speak to Eric Northman?"

"Eric is not here yet since he's a vampire. Is there a message you want me to deliver?"

Although I could hardly judge over the phone, this Ginger girl didn't sound very bright. I couldn't believe she would start to make up conspiracy theories based on what I was about to tell her.

"Uh, yeah. Could you tell him to come to Serena's house? Tell him it's very important and that he comes as soon as possible."

"Who is Serena?"

"He knows who it is. Promise me you'll tell him that, Ginger."

Ginger promised and before I could get another word in, she had already hung up the phone.

I watched everything go from crimson to black on my porch. My leg was shaking uncontrollably, as my mind was racing. Even though Sam had betrayed me, I had to protect him from Eric. Imagine what he would do to him if he came to find out it was a shifter who ratted both of us to the police. Most supernatural species didn't like others, and shifters and vampires were no different.

A gush of wind blew through my hair and Eric was suddenly seated besides me on the steps. It made me jump ever so slightly, but I regained my composure as soon as my eyes met his.

"We have a problem," I simply stated.

"Again?" Eric asked, cocking one eyebrow as his face was dangerously close to mine.

"Yes. The cops have been informed that I am in trouble."

That made him lean back. For a moment he seemed to ponder the seriousness of the situation, but I quickly filled him in that they knew more than they should.

"They came to my house this morning, asking all kinds of questions. Even though I told them nothing was wrong, they were very persistent. They know something."

"How?" Eric demanded.

"An anonymous tip."

"It's the shifter, isn't it?"

I looked down and began to fumble with the hem of my t-shirt, suddenly very aware how I still hadn't brushed my teeth or combed my hair.

"Promise me you won't hurt him," I asked. "He only did it because he was worried."

"If it matters to you then I won't," Eric said, much to my surprise. "This can be solved easily enough. No violence should be necessary."

"What will you do?" I asked. Somehow with vampires, everything always ended in violence, no matter how hard they promised it wouldn't. They couldn't help it.

"I'll glamor the police, make them forget an anonymous tip ever came in. In the meantime, you'll have to take care of that shifter. Make sure he doesn't talk ever again."

"Believe me," I started. "I already took care of that."

By the way the corners of Eric's mouth curled into a smile I could tell he was impressed. He then turned himself to me and placed his lips on my forehead. It felt cold, yet warming at the same time and my heart fluttered like it had raced before.

"I'll be back in an hour. Will you wait for me?"

* * *

 **A/N:** A big welcome to new followers! I've noticed a lot of new readers lately and it warms my heart to see so many people still interested in the True Blood universe :) Please let me know your thoughts and until next time 3


	11. Chapter 10

A cold hand on my shoulder woke me up from my slumber. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I wondered how Eric had come inside. Had I invited him in in a moment of weakness? But as the world returned to me I realized I had fallen asleep on the porch.

His touch created goosebumps on my skin, and when it finally dawned on my that Eric had returned, I was wide awake again.

I placed my hands behind my and pushed myself forward before scrambling to my feet. Even though I was standing on the top steps on my porch, Eric was still a good inch taller than I was. Instinctively, my eyes scanned his body for stains of blood, but he was all clean.

"How did it go?" I asked, clearing my throat to stop my voice from sounding so hoarse.

"Everything is back to normal."

It wasn't until he spoke that I noticed he had his fangs exposed. It no longer scared me like it did once, and to prove it both to myself and to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my lips crash against his.

The second time he was much more dominant. One hand slid from the small of my back down to my behind and back up again while the other traveled all the way down to grab my thigh. As the kiss deepened, I let my tongue brush against his fangs. I could easily feel the sharpness, but Eric made sure he kept himself in check so he wouldn't hurt me.

I was on the verge of inviting him in. My body was pressed against his, and the coldness of his skin was protruding through his clothing. It felt refreshing in the humidity of the night, and I was craving for more of it.

But before I could speak, Eric spoke.

"Let's bathe together."

His request was simple, yet exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Before I could rationally think about his proposal I nodded.

Eric responded my slipping his hands on my waist and under my knees and lifted me off the ground with ease. I held onto his shoulders as I lightly brushed my lips against his before nuzzling his neck.

He put me down in front of the water, his fingers immediately tugging at the hem of my t-shirt which I removed obligingly. Eric had seen me naked before, which took away any of the embarrassment that I once had about my body.

I continued my taking off my shorts, and as I was about to remove my bra, Eric placed his finger over my lips and froze. I had no idea how to respond but to do the same. All the sexual tension between us was replaced by fear, and I felt my muscles tightening.

Eric had his gaze focused somewhere in the line of trees and bushes at the back of the pond. I perked my ears but even though I wasn't completely human, I couldn't hear any better than they could. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but by the way his eyes intensified I thought it would be better to keep my mouth shut.

I almost fell to the ground when he was gone, not realizing I had been holding on to him. As I turned to see where he was gone, he was already back in front of me, and he wasn't alone.

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't say anything. Someone had been hiding in the bushes, and he was now dangling in the air as Eric held him up by the collar of his leather jacket. He couldn't have been much older than twenty and by the look on his face he was terrified—and rightfully so.

My eyes fell on his right hand in which he was clutching a camera for dear life. I stepped forward and snatched it from his grip, going through the pictures. It was exactly from the same angle as the photos I had received. Was this our guy? Was this the person who had been tormenting me?

"Please, let me go!" he shouted, the terror in his voice making him sound even younger than he was.

Eric gave in to his request and let him drop to the ground. He was too scared to run away, or he figured he wouldn't stand a chance anyway, which was probably right. My eyes continued to follow the photographer as he moved on his knees, almost as if he was begging or praying to let him go.

But I probably should've looked at Eric before. He had a look in his eyes which I had never seen before. It was like a tiny mouse before a murderous cat. A deer in the headlights of a car. A predator and its prey. I was sure that Eric was going to kill him, and I couldn't allow him to do that just that.

"ERIC!" I shouted loud enough to make him focus on me.

"Please," the boy continued to plead. "They made me do this. Please, let me go and I will make them stop. I never meant for anyone to get hurt."

"Who made you do it?" I asked, leaning down to be closer to him, figuring he would sooner tell me than he would Eric.

Before he could answer Eric lifted the guy into the air again, but this time he had his hand at his throat, slowly suffocating him with each second that passed.

I began to panic. This kid could solve the mystery surrounding my pictures. He was obviously tied to it, and although I doubted he was the mastermind behind it all, he could definitely lead us to the leader of this operation. This was as far as we had come in our investigation, and I couldn't let Eric fuck it all up.

Water bending wasn't one of my strongest powers. I rarely practiced it for the fear of getting seen, and if I had to be honest, I hadn't come in many situations where it could be handy. Luckily, I had the elements on my side. In the swamps, I was surrounded by water, and the more there was, the better.

I closed my eyes, focusing completely on the water as I raised my arms and began to move my hands in swaying motions. I had no idea if it would work until I opened my eyes, and even though I wanted to postpone it for as long as I could (fearing I might look ridiculous standing here, waving my arms around for nothing) there wasn't much time to waste.

The water surrounded the three of us. I allowed myself to be surprised at my own powers for a mere second, before I pushed my hands out in front of my, letting the water I controlled crash down against Eric and the photographer.

The force was enough to send the both of them back on the ground. Eric, however, was immediately back on his feet. His clothing was soaked and his hair fell down his face instead of being slicked back like it normally was. He looked in my direction with an expression of annoyance, but as soon as he saw me his face eased.

"We have to talk to him first," I warned. "He could lead us right to the person doing all of this stuff."

Eric flexed his fingers, his gaze going from my, to the photographer, back to me.

"If you kill him we have nothing."

After what felt like an eternity of contemplation, Eric nodded.

"We can take him to my house," I suggested.

"No, Fangtasia is better."

Flashes of the dungeon in the basement returned to me, and I had to agree that that might be a better place to question him. It was both intimidating, and better protected than my home was, and I figured he would crack easily being under those circumstances.

"You take him, I'll drive," I said.

Eric let out a sigh, leaned forward on one knee, picked up the photographer and slung him over his shoulder. I blinked once and the two of them were gone.

* * *

Pam was waiting for me in the parking lot. I wasn't sure what Eric had told her about the kid, but I was sure she would stand by his side through anything (and I knew she loved a little drama). She led me to the back entrance of Fangtasia, which I made certain to remember so I didn't have to barge in through the front entrance every time I was in trouble.

We went straight down the stairs into the basement. A strange smell immediately struck me. Was that blood?

When I was down the stairs, my eyes fell on the photographer. He had his hands bound in chains, which hung from the ceiling. His feet were shackled as well, and his camera was right besides him, smashed to a thousand pieces. But that wasn't the worst. In the short time I was gone, Eric had beaten the boy to pulp. His face was red and blue from both blood and bruises, and by lack of sound coming from him he had fainted.

"What the fuck did you do," I exclaimed.

Eric was pacing up and down in front of the boy. His knuckles were bloody, but had already healed, and his blue t-shirt was stained in a crimson color. It looked like he had been beating him up for days on end, while in reality it had been less than half an hour.

"Don't worry," Eric said, turning himself to me. "He talked."

He looked straight past me to Pam. She got the hint, but wasn't taking it.

"You two have to tell me what is going on."

"Not now, Pam," Eric hissed. "I'll tell you in due time."

Pam suddenly stood before me, and I instinctively took a step back.

"No. I want to know. I'm your prodigy. You kept me out of the loop for weeks now, I can't take it anymore. Explain why the fuck your still hanging around this _human_?"

"She's not a human."

Eric words surprised me, and not in a good way. I opened my mouth to protest, but the glaring look he gave me made me shut it again. I wanted to trust him, but was telling another vampire really the best thing?

"She's a mermaid."

Pam nodded slowly. "That explains the smell."

"This guy here was stalking her, threatening her existence. I had to interfere," Eric explained, sounding very rational and calm considering the fact that we were pretty much torturing an individual in a goddamn _dungeon_.

He continued talking. "I'll fill you in on all the details later. Could you please make sure no one upstairs knows what is going on here, and give me a new t-shirt? This one is stained."

Pam said okay and went on her way. The way they were going about it like this was the most normal thing in the world suggested they had been in situations like this before, which gave me faith we would get out of this one way or another.

I didn't dare to speak until the door upstairs fell shut. "What did he say?"

"He is part of a group. One of those white supremacy groups, but for humans. One of them spotted you in the water and then discovered what you were, which means you were very careless if you allowed one of these lunatics to see you."

I decided it was best to ignore his insult and just focus on getting ahead in the investigation.

"Apparently, the only intention was to teach you a lesson. They have been harassing shifters and weres as well, but none of them got it as badly as you did."

"So what do we do now? Let him go back? Tell them he'll be worse off if they do this again?"

"No," Eric said definitive. "We'll keep him here. Let them come to us. You want revenge, don't you?"

I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted. I wanted things to go back to normal again, the way it was before when no one knew who I was. All these games we were playing with real people, threatening them, beating them up, glamoring them so they knew nothing—it was not who I wanted to be. I wasn't a bad person, and I didn't want to become one.

Eric stood before me, his hand on my arm as he pulled my closer.

"These people have hurt you, Serena. They could have exposed you, perhaps even getting you killed in the long run. They deserve this."

I looked past Eric towards the photographer who was still unconscious. His face was almost unrecognizable and I began to wonder if he was even alive. The guy was just a kid, probably forced in doing this.

"Look at me," Eric demanded, grabbing my chin between his fingers to force me to look up. "When you are such a rare species as yourself, you have to protect yourself from everything and everyone, and sometimes, that means getting your hands dirty. It is called survival, and there are no casualties when it comes to survival. Every supernatural you think you know, they all have blood on their hands. It's what we have to do, and you are part of us. You're not human, Serena, so you don't have to behave like one."

 _You're not human._ Never before did someone say those words to me, and while they were true, they were confronting. I had been living as normal as I could my entire lifetime, and while it was obvious that Eric didn't care for mainstreaming (as vampires called it), fully accepting who I am and completely letting go of the fact that I was human was hard, harder than I imagined.

"You have to trust me," Eric said, and when he looked at me like that it was hard not to do so.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all again for the reviews and follows! Finally the truth is out! Please let me know your thoughts and I will update again as soon as possible. Take care 3


	12. Chapter 11

My body was full of adrenaline as Eric Northman kissed me. We were in a dungeon, with someone beaten bloody and tied up in chains behind us. It was as if we walked straight out of an old vampire novel, and as long as the kiss lasted, I could forget the reality that surrounded us.

But everything had to come to an end. As the kiss broke off it dawned on me what we had done, and the consequences that would be coming with it. The adrenaline that just occupied my body left me in an instant and was replaced with a sense of dread and fear.

"You can't go home," Eric said softly, as if our prisoner could hear us. "Once they realize one of their guys is gone, your house is the first place they will come looking."

I nodded in agreement. "I can book a hotel here in Shreveport. I'll stay here until it all blows over."

"No," Eric stated. He still had his hand on the back of my neck. "You'll stay with me."

"At your place?" I stuttered slightly. I had never been to a vampire's home before, and I had no idea what it looked like.

"Yes," Eric replied. "You'll find it very comfortable. And not many know my address. You'll be safer."

Safer sounded okay with me. I also really didn't want to be alone after everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen. This seemed like the perfect solution to all of our problems—for the time being at least.

"What do we do with him," I said, nodding my head in the direction of the photographer.

"He can stay here. We'll check on him in the morning."

And so we went on our way. We got into Eric's car, deciding to leave mine at Fangtasia's parking lot. He drove a striking yellow Corvette, and I had no idea how we were not going to catch any attention driving this thing, but once again I placed my trust in his hands, and hoped for the best.

During the drive I began to wonder how many people had been to Eric's home. Well, probably not many _people_ , but I couldn't imagine he had never brought another vampire over to his place. In the moment, I caught myself feeling jealous at the prospect of him sleeping with other people, and I quickly told myself to get a grip.

We drove to a part of Shreveport I had never been before. We were surrounded by fancy-looking apartment buildings rising high up in the sky, and when we came to a halt in front of one of them it became apparent that this was where Eric lived.

For some reason I had expected a creepy house upon a hill with a shabby planked exterior and creaking window shutters. Instead, we went into a small, yet well-decorated lobby. Everything in here was finished to an impeccable standard, and I pondered how much wealth Eric had managed to acquire over his years on this earth.

The elevator took us all the way to the top floor. _Penthouse_. Eric wasn't kidding when he told me I would find it very comfortable. We stepped inside, and I was greeted by designer furniture. The place smelled as fantastic as it looked, the soft scent of pine and vanilla filling my nose. To my delight, Eric hadn't continued the red and black theme of his bar in his own apartment. Instead, everything had a clean cut minimalist look with wooden features everywhere.

"This is beautiful, Eric," I said, roaming around to take in everything. The view from the living room over down town Shreveport was outstanding, and I couldn't wait to see what the sunrise looked like in the morning.

"You should go to bed," Eric said. He always managed to make demands sound so cordial. "It's been a long night."

I couldn't disagree. My body was aching from all the tension, and my eyelids began to feel heavy with every second that passed.

"The bedroom is through that door," Eric continued as he pointed. "You can find clean clothes in the closet."

Within a split second he stood before me. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, his hand resting lightly on my hips. I felt my cheeks glowing as he disappeared again as fast as he had come.

Vampires didn't sleep in beds. I knew that, yet it was still somewhat awkward to sleep in his all by myself. They never told anyone where they slept during the day, for the fear of being exposed. I had no idea what he was going to do for the remainder of the night, but as long as I was here I told myself I was safe.

The bedroom was decorated in the same style as the living room, and the bed looked about twice as big as mine was. I moved towards the closet, my fingers running along all the fresh t-shirts, deciding I would wear a black one as my nightgown. It was too large for my frame, but it felt soft and comfortable. I lifted the fabric to my nose, smiling softly as it had traces of his scent.

As I climbed in his bed it almost felt like he was with me, and with that in mind I fell asleep without a worry in the world.

* * *

Eric was gone when I woke up. Of course he was, it was light outside. Where the apartment had felt safe the night before, it now felt eerily empty.

I got up and went to check the fridge to see if he had something to eat, but what did I expect? The fridge was stocked up with Tru Blood, his favorite blood type turning out to be B negative. Vampires didn't eat food, so of course there was none.

My stomach was rumbling, and I felt goosebumps forming on my legs from the air-conditioning in his apartment. I had no clothes and no food. Eric wanted me to stay here and be safe, but without any supplies and nothing to do, I decided a little trip home couldn't hurt.

And so I found my way back to Fangtasia, jumped in my car, and drove back to Bon Temps. I promised myself I would just pop in and out. It wouldn't take more than five minutes, nothing could happen to me in that time. To be extra safe, I placed the pepperspray that was still in my possession on my lap, ready to use it if necessary.

I managed to get inside, throw as many clothes in a suitcase as I could and hoard everything in my fridge in a backpack, in a mere fifteen minutes. Everything seemed like a success, until I got outside and walked straight into Hoyt Fortenberry.

"Serena, I'm so sorry," he apologized, helping me get back on my feet. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah," I mumbled, trying my best to keep a straight face. "I'm heading down to New Orleans for the weekend. Visit some old friends."

The lie rolled off my tongue more easily than I expected. It would be better if everyone here believed I was out of town. No one would come looking for me, and perhaps if the supremacists heard they would seize their search for me. It would give me and Eric a little more space to breathe and figure out exactly what the plan was.

"Oh, really? Have fun, Serena."

Hoyt flashed me a kind smile and was on his way again.

I let out a sigh of relief. While I didn't suspect Hoyt of belonging to that group, I still for a moment believed I got caught redhanded. As fast as I could I returned to my car and drove back to Shreveport.

* * *

Eric's apartment was still empty when I returned, the only sound coming from my sneakers rubbing against the hardwood floor. My eyes fell on my watch, noting it was not even noon yet. I still had a long time to go to entertain myself before Eric would return from wherever he was hiding during the day.

I decided not to unpack my suitcase. This stay was supposed to be short, and I really was intending on going home again soon. I didn't want to give Eric the idea that I would be fine with staying here for longer than a couple of days. I wanted this matter resolved quickly—as quickly as possible.

My stomach was rumbling, but food wasn't the only craving I had to satisfy. After making myself a sandwiches (surprised to find Eric's kitchen was stocked with every utensil I needed), I decided to check out the master bathroom.

Like everything else in his apartment, Eric's bathroom was just as impressive. Everything was made out of white marble, from the sink to the toilet to the shower. But what caught me eye was the bathtub that was displayed prominently in the middle. It was big, big enough to fit two people and then some. Since I couldn't return to my usual spot for transformation, this had to do.

My tail fitted exactly, as if the bathtub was made for me. I made a mental note to remember its size—I needed this at home. While I couldn't swim, being submerged in the water was enough to satisfy my needs for now, and after discovering the jet streams which creates bubbles in the water I was one happy mermaid.

Feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world, I returned to the living room. When I picked up my iPhone I noticed I had one voicemail waiting for me. I recognized the number being from Merlotte's, but figured Sam just wanted to ask me if I was coming in to work today, which obviously I wasn't.

"Serena, it's Sam. I just spoke to Hoyt who said you were leaving for New Orleans. I know you are supposed to work this weekend and I know I shouldn't count on you coming in—but we both know you are not heading down there. I'm worried, Serena. Where are you? If you are in trouble, find a way to let me know. I asked your friends and they had no idea about your travel plans. Please call me back to let me know you're okay."

I had to admit the concern in his voice did something to me, and I began to feel bad. I hadn't even let my friends know I was going away. While the chaos of the entire situation didn't leave much time to send everyone elaborate texts on my whereabouts, I recognized that I had not only behaved very suspiciously, but I also was a very bad friend.

My fingers darted over my phone as I send everyone a text to let them know I was in New Orleans with an old acquaintance (I mean, Eric technically was an _old_ acquaintance) and told Sam not to worry about me and I would let him know once everything was resolved.

The clock struck four times. I had been in the bath longer than I thought I had been, but still there was a lot of time to kill until Eric would wake up. I made myself as comfortable as I could and began to watch the Gossip Girl-rerun on television and waited patiently for night to come.

* * *

"Good evening," Eric said.

He was standing behind me, his voice as dark as the clothing he was wearing. Even though it was impossible, it almost looked like he had some color to his cheeks, and I figured he had already had dinner before he came to see me. A wise decision, which I very much appreciated.

"I hope you slept well," he continued, sitting down besides my on the couch causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter.

"I did," I replied after turning my body towards his. "But we need to talk about something."

Eric's brows ruffled and I then realized he of course didn't know I had left his apartment during the day. For a moment I considered not telling him, but then I remembered the suitcase in the bedroom which couldn't have appeared out of nowhere, not to mention the food in the fridge.

"I went to my house to grab some stuff," I began. "I know, I shouldn't have, but I needed some of my clothes, and _food_. Nothing happened, but I ran into a neighbor. I told him I was staying in New Orleans for the weekend, but I made the mistake of not telling anyone else. People are worried about me and I just spent the last couple of hours convincing everyone through text that I was fine."

I ran my fingers through my hair, biting my lip as I tried to think of the words to continue. I didn't want Eric to feel I blamed him for this—because I didn't—but the truth was that it was about time this stalker thing was over.

"When will it be over, Eric? I've lived a lie for my entire life, but the more they keep piling up the harder it is to make sure everything fits. Someone will find out what's going on. Sam is already onto me, and I doubt my friends really believe I'm in New Orleans. When will we take action?"

Eric took my hand into his and forced me to look in his eyes. If I wasn't a supernatural I would've been afraid he would try to glamor me into believing everything was okay.

"We will soon," Eric stated. "We have a solid lead with the photographer tied up in my basement. I've got Pam watching him closely. I know groups like those will never want one of their own get murdered by a species they are so much against. They will come, and then, we will do what's necessary to end this. I promise you, Serena."

I nodded slowly. I really wanted to believe him, and his words were the only thing I had to hold onto. There was no point in arguing. I had to trust him.

Eric leaned in, and pressed his lips against mine, catching me completely by surprise. My body was tensed, but as soon as his hands began to trace every inch of my skin, I began to ease. The day had been boring and lonely so it didn't take long for me to give into his demands.

I moved on this lap, wrapping my leg around his waist. The kiss deepened, and while I figured he had already eaten, I could still feel the attack and the hunger as his tongue played with mine. His fangs came out mid-kiss, but I didn't care. There was no stopping us now. No one could interrupt us, and this was finally going to happen.

His fingers found the hem of my t-shirt and began to push it up. Obligingly, I took it off and immediately began to work on opening my bra, throwing that behind me as well. Now my torso was bare, Eric began to direct his kisses to my breasts. The delicacy of his lips moving on my nipple was surprising for a vampire, and I couldn't suppress the moan which escaped from my mouth.

And then his hands were on my ass and he picked me up like I was as light as a feather. We moved into the bedroom, and he placed me down on the bed. While he was taking off his own clothing, I unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them off simultaneously with my panties.

For a moment, Eric remained standing, admiring my body. He had seen it before, but that didn't stop him from taking everything in.

"Come here," I murmured impatiently as I extended my arm for him to come closer.

Before he did so, Eric took of his own boxers. Like he had seen me, I had seen him naked as well. His body was almost an exact replica of a Greek statue—well toned, well-endowed, and as pale as marble.

Eric moved on top of me, our bare skins now touching each other and while it felt cold, the spark between us was warmer than ever before. He continued to kiss me, his hand going from my neck, to breasts, to my hips, and then finally further down. I had never had such a considerate partner before, and he made sure I was absolutely ready before he entered me.

I cried out in pleasure as our bodies began to move together. Eric's almost primal grunt escaping from his mouth every so often only turned me on more. I finally understood what people meant when they claimed vampires were incredibly good at sex. Eric was unlike anyone I ever had made love with, and I doubted anyone could top this.

His fangs were scraping my neck, and in that moment I had to intervene.

"Eric," I managed to get out between moans as he showed no sign of stopping. "No blood this time, okay?"

He only let out a gentle hum and directed his attention to my breasts again. His hands were under my back and pushed me upwards. My fingers ran through his hair as I tried to get his attention, not entirely convinced by his response.

Eric finally looked at me. "No blood," he repeated firmly.

I repeated his words in my head. For a moment, I couldn't believe I was doing this. If someone would tell me a month ago that I would be having sex with a _vampire_ , in his apartment, and he promised not to drink my blood, I would've said you were insane.

But here I was, crying out in pleasure as I fully gave myself to Eric Northman.

* * *

 **A/N:** This was probably my favorite chapter yet. I can't wait to hear your responses!


	13. Chapter 12

I woke up alone. Eric had stayed with me for as long as he could, holding me tight until I had fallen asleep, stroking my hair until my dreams were sweet, and placing soft kisses on my cheek and neck to let me know everything was going to be alright.

Never before had I felt so safe as in the arms of Eric Northman. He was like a cast-iron fence that protected me from my surroundings. I felt untouchable, and I wanted the moment to last for forever and ever.

But reality kicked in. Dawn was here, and Eric was gone. My body still ached from the night before, but it was a good kind of ache. I treasured the memories in my mind, replaying the way we made love over and over again until I felt myself growing hot. I bit my lip. I never thought I would be saying this: but Eric was the best lover I had ever had.

I prepared myself for another day of waiting. There wasn't much I could do while Eric was away, and he knew he wouldn't appreciate it if I started roaming around Shreveport. Our prisoner was still safely at Fangtasia, and Pam informed us that no one had tried to come and get him.

Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and fruit. With unlimited amount of time, it was the best meal I had in time. No rushing to get anywhere, no stress of the fear of being photographed again. Everything was peaceful, and everything was quiet.

But I regretted my culinary creation when I realized I was out of food. I had eaten much of it for dinner, and waiting all day caused me to snack a lot. Only the blood was left, and even though I could perhaps convince myself it was just tomato juice, I doubted it would be very nutritional and fulfilling for a non-vampire.

Since yesterday's trip home went as planned, I figured a trip to the supermarket couldn't hurt.

Shreveport was uncharted terrain for me, so I spend the next five minutes looking up the nearest supermarket. I put on my sweater, and pulled the hood over my head before adding a pair of sunglasses to try and conceal my identity a bit. I didn't know many people in Shreveport, but it would be just my luck to run into someone.

I let my phone guide me to the nearest store. My plan was to quickly get in, grab what I needed, and get out. I could always return again later.

As I was about to grab a pint of milk, someone cleared his throat behind me. I couldn't help but to look over my shoulder, and I almost dropped everything I was holding when I saw Sam standing behind me.

I cursed under my breath before regaining my composure. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sam responded.

I suddenly became very aware of my surroundings. My eyes scanned everyone in close distance, and it was then that I decided that I wasn't going to have this conversation with so many eyes on us.

"Not here," I hissed. "I'll meet you outside."

We walked around the store and went to the back of the store. Here, we were surrounded by dumpsters and general trash. No one could hear us, and no one could see us. If anything, people would probably think this was a drug deal and leave us alone.

"You can't tell anyone I'm here," I began. "It would compromise everything we have been working on?"

" _We?_ " Sam responded. "Are you still working with that vampire? What are you getting yourself into?"

"Yes, I am still working with the vampire," I clarified. "But we have a plan. Everything is going to end soon."

Sam shook his head and let out a long breath. "You should've gone to the police, like I advised you to."

I curled my fists into balls. Why didn't he understand this? He was a supernatural, like me, why was this so difficult to grasp? I needed to end this on my own terms, not on that of the police. Besides, how was I going to convince them those supremacists were just making up lies about me. How could I prove the pictures and video they took of me were fake?

"I can't, Sam. I don't want to move away again. This is necessary."

Sam took a step forward and it almost looked like he wanted to grab my arm to shake me back to my senses.

"That vampire and his little plans is going to get you killed, Serena. You have to stop all this madness, or I have to fire you. I can't stand by watching you walk to your death."

His comments shook me to my core. I couldn't deny it hurt me. I enjoyed working at Merlotte's and didn't want to give that up. That job made me feel normal for the first time in years. I never had another supernatural before to work with, and I felt disappointed that he didn't understand the need to do this. I couldn't let it become public knowledge that I was perhaps the last mermaid on this planet.

"Then consider me fired," I replied, doing my best to look him in the eyes. "I have to finish what I started, Sam."

And on that final note I spun on my heel, clutched my groceries to my chest, and walked away as fast as I could.

* * *

My mind was spinning as I tried my best to remember where Eric's apartment was. Did I just got fired? I couldn't believe it, and I didn't want to think about it. After this ordeal was over, I would return, admit my defeat and apologize. I didn't want this to ruin everything I had in Bon Temps.

Lost in thought, I continued to walk. At least the fresh air did me good after spending the day before cooped up inside. I could only hope the supremacists would come for their guy, because I had no idea how long I could keep up with doing absolutely nothing.

But little did I then now they were already coming for me.

Someone gripped my tightly by my upper arms, causing me to drop my groceries and my phone on the ground. I wanted to scream, but a hand covered my mouth and I was pulled back into a dark alley right behind's Eric's apartment.

Another pair of hands grabbed my other arms, as they continued to drag me away. I did by best to bite, scream, and kick them as hard as I could, but as soon as I became too much to handle for two people, someone else appeared and grabbed me by my legs, lifting me up off the ground.

I tried to actively search for water, but right in the middle of a concrete jungle there was nothing here. Even the sewerage was too far down in the ground for me to reach, and I realized there was nothing I could do.

Sam was so close. Could he hear me? Could he feel my struggle, from one supernatural to another? Of course, he couldn't. The sun was still high in the sky, and I was searching for replacements for Eric who could help me in the meantime. But I was alone.

My panic increased when they put me in the trunk of a beat-up car hidden in the darkness of the alley. They taped my hands and feet together, and put a strip over my mouth so I couldn't make any sound. I didn't recognize any of the men, but I knew all too well who they were.

Like Eric had predicted, the supremacists had come, but they hadn't come for their guy, they had come for me.

* * *

We were driving for a long time. At least, that's what I thought. It was hard to guess with no surroundings to help you. We were out of Shreveport, that was the only part I was sure about. Louisiana was big, and there were a lot of places for people like this to hide. How was I going to let Eric know where I was?

I hit my head when the car came to an abrupt halt. The trunk opened, and two men helped me get out. I forgot to resist, figuring it would be more important to take in the environment.

My eyes fell on a trailer, but we were heading in the opposite direction. There were cars everywhere, both in working and non-working condition. Was this some sort of scrap yard? We passed a fire, burning on what looked like rubber. It created a think plume of smoke into the air, and I made sure to remember it.

They continued to carry me further away. I turned my head to see some sort of shed. It looked shabby, the wood rotten and moldy, and I had no doubt that was where they were going to lock me up.

There were no windows, and when they left me behind, shackled to a concrete block in the ground, I was engulfed in darkness. The only sound I could hear was my own breathing, and the rapidness of it was freaking me out even more. What the fuck had just happened? Did I just get kidnapped?

The guys doing all the work hadn't told me anything, but I could already guess this was retaliation for the fact we had one of their guys. We hadn't anticipated they would do something like this, we figured they were stupid enough to just come for their guy, but we had underestimated them. Severely, underestimated them.

Again, I had no idea for how long I was left alone. Every second felt like a minute in this place. I got on my knees and tried to crawl towards the door, pressing my chest against the ground to look under the door. But the chain didn't give me much room and the door was too close to the ground for me to get a good look.

I couldn't reach the side of the walls either. The chains was specifically designed to be too short for me to reach anything. The shed was old, and if I knew that if I could reach it I could kick my way out as the planks were damp and soft. But as hard as I tried, I couldn't get close enough. Instead, the chains only cut in my skin and when it really began to hurt I gave up.

They had prepared this. I tried again to find water to influence, but I wasn't advanced enough to get it from the ground and apart from that, I could find it anywhere. They had deprecated me of all my powers.

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep until I was woken up by the sound of footsteps approaching. As soon as I found that I wasn't in a horrible nightmare, I moved backwards as far as my chains allowed me to, my chest heaving up and down as I could control my breathing.

As the door of the shed opened, I noticed how it was dark outside, and that lifted my spirits and gave me hope.

A slightly fat guy stepped forward with a phone in his hand. He leaned down on one knee before ripping off the piece of tape that had been covering my mouth. I breathed in as much air as I could and then I began to scream.

The response was a fist against my cheek. I coughed, spitting out a little bit of blood on the ground. My anger was growing, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"You are going to call that vampire," my captor said. "And you are going to tell him we want Daniel in exchange for you."

It took me a moment to comprehend who Daniel was, but I quickly pieced together that that had to be the guy stuck in a dungeon beneath Fangtasia.

I nodded in silence before telling him he should call the bar. He then held the telephone up to my ear, as I waited for numbers to dial.

"Fangtasia, you are speaking with Pam," a disinterested voice on the other side of the line said.

"Pam?" I said, grateful to hear a familiar voice. "I need to speak with Eric."

"Serena? Oh my god, where the _fuck_ are you? We have been worried sick."

"Pam," I said, my voice now stern. There were about four pairs of eyes on me as I was making this call, and I wanted to get as quick to the point as possible.

The line was dead for a mere second and then I heard Eric's voice. He sounded worried, and my heart skipped a beat when he spoke my name.

"Where are you?"

It wasn't until now that the tears began to stream down my cheeks. Now I had to say it out loud, I finally realized what the hell had happened.

"They've kidnapped me," I spoke, trying my best not to sound too scared. "They want their guy in exchange for me. Please come soon, Eric."

Before I was able to plead another time, the phone was taken away from my ear.

"You can find us in Willow Chute. You have one hour to deliver him."

He hung up.

* * *

 **A/N:** Woo! Things are getting serious! Please let me know your thoughts and until next time! 3


	14. Chapter 13

It took ages for Eric to get there. It was hard to predict how much time had passed, but even I could guess he was starting to push his luck.

My captors had left the door of the shed open, and while I couldn't get outside, I could at least see what was happening. The night was humid, a disgustingly kind of humid, perfect mirroring the situation that I was in. Sweat dripped down my temples onto the ground, and for a moment I found myself wondering how much more I needed to sweat until I could use the water as a weapon.

I took in a sharp breath when I heard the sound of tires approaching through the slick mud. The vehicle sounded heavy and old, not like Eric's Corvette, but more like the cars outside in the yard. I ruffled my brows, scrunching my nose to get a drop of sweat to fall off. The car sounded like a _van_ , and I found it hard to imagine that the stylish Eric owned one. The image of him stealing it in the dead of night made me chuckle, even through all the misery.

"Come out of the van _slowly_ ," one of my captors shouted, but I couldn't see who. The only thing I was able to see was that the rest lifted their guns higher in the air, probably aimed right at Eric. I had never seen them so heavily armed before. Their weapons looked military grade to my untrained eye. It was apparent they weren't taking any chances.

"We are armed with wooden bullets!"

I couldn't see Eric, but I heard a pair of footsteps which I figured belonged to him. He was so close now. Only the exchange was left and I was back into safe hands again.

"I have come in peace," I heard him say. "I'm unarmed. You can have one of your men check."

"Even if you're unarmed, you're still a _vamp._ "

My captor spoke the word with a load of disgust I had never encountered before. These people really believed supernaturals were the scum of the earth. If only they knew that not all vampires were so bad, and all shifters were pretty decent people. I didn't have much experiences with weres, but I had never had any trouble with them. And mermaids, well… I was the only one.

"Where is Daniel?" another asked.

"You show me Serena and I'll give you your guy. You get your _Daniel_ after I get her."

"No," someone replied sternly, which I recognized as the voice as the leader. "You give us Daniel first. For all we know, we give you that creature and then you'll disappear into the night. We know of your abilities."

 _Creature._ I had never been called something like that, and I had to admit it was a little confronting. I had always considered myself as more human than mermaid. Just a regular girl with strange abilities. But apparently I was a creature now. A freak. Perhaps I should join the circus.

"At least show me she's alive. I give you my word I give you your guy first."

"Your word means shit to me, vamp," the leader spat. "But fair enough. Get her, Josh."

I swallowed as I pressed myself backwards again as far as I could. Josh came in, the gun swinging on his hip (I hoped he wasn't stupid enough to leave the safety off). He got on one knee and opened the lock on my shackles. First they fell off my feet, and then my hands. Underneath, my skin had colored in a rainbow of colors, but there was no time to worry about that.

Josh grabbed me by my t-shirt and forcibly pulled me up. It was as if my legs were made out of jelly, but he took me with him nevertheless, partially dragging me over the ground when was necessary.

I didn't dare to look Eric in the eyes as they placed me down on both knees. I was still yards removed from him, but he could come and get me in a split second. The problem, however, was the heavy weaponry surrounding us. Even with his speed, he was bound to get hit by a bullet, and with them being wooden that could be fatal.

An image of my possible appearance flashed through my mind. Sweaty, dirty, and above anything else, I must have looked very scared. But at least I was still alive.

Eric didn't say anything, but when our eyes finally met I could see remorse. In that moment I could honestly say that Eric Northman truly cared for me, and perhaps that was the best thing I learned about this entire situation.

"Now get us Daniel."

Eric nodded slowly, and I could see a shift in his expression. He put on his poker face, and it became impossible to read, and that scared me. It was as if he was hiding something, but _what?_

With immense speed he returned to the van and pulled open the doors on the back (almost ripping them off in the process). But he didn't return with the same speed. It seemed like he was doing something back there. Eric was behaving unusually slowly. I grew nervous as I began to have the suspicion something was wrong.

"Hurry up," the leader demanded, and that seemed to be enough to spur on Eric to move. He returned, and dropped something right in front of us.

I let out a high pitched shriek when I realized what it was.

 _It was Daniel._ The photographer. Their guy. And he was dead. His skin was as frosty as fresh snow, and his eyes were closed. In his right hand he was still clutching his broken camera, and even though I wasn't an expert on the matter, it looked like he had been dead for hours, perhaps even days.

"What is the meaning of this?" the leader said, a tone of uneasiness to his voice as his comrades began to whisper to each other behind me.

I couldn't believe he had actually killed Daniel. Or perhaps Pam had. In the end, it didn't matter. This deal was about a trade between two people, and that couldn't happen when one of them was dead. This was a huge gamble, and I had no idea why Eric was willing to take it.

"Sadly," Eric began, his fingers flexing in and out of fists. "Poor little Daniel didn't make it to see the end. My apologies. I just got very… _tired_ … of his constant screams."

And then I felt the machine gun pointed right at my temple. The barrel touched my skin, and I began to breathe very heavily as I realized what was happening.

"The deal is off. I have a new deal. You surrender yourself in exchange for her. If not, she's dead. We hate vampires even more than whatever the hell she is supposed to be."

I bit my lip as my eyes were actively searching for contact with Eric. I knew he was going to do it. He would stupidly think he was going to survive a sea of wooden bullets. He was arrogant, but even with his old age he wasn't invincible.

"Don't do it," I mouthed, but he was paying no attention to me.

My heart was practically bouncing out of my chest as I watched Eric contemplating what to do very closely.

And then, I heard something rustling in the trees. It was completely dark back there due to the thick forestry. The other guys had heard it do, and momentarily directed their attention away from him to whatever was moving behind him.

I wanted to do a leap of joy when several vampires emerged from the shadows. I recognized Pam, and the other employees from Fangtasia. I couldn't even bother to worry about what they had told the rest of them about me, because I was full of hope again. While it had been only Eric against all of the supremacists before, it was now almost equal. Even though the other guys were armed, we now certainly stood a chance.

"I said you had to come alone," the leader hissed, the panic in his voice very apparent.

"Technically, I did come alone," Eric replied. "They just joined me later."

"We will shoot!" a supremacist shouted in fear before repeating his words once more.

Eric suddenly stood next to that same guy, and with one clean move he ripped of the guys head. The ease with which he had done it showed me he had done something like this before. I had always wondered how many people Eric had actually killed, but perhaps it was more than I had anticipated.

The head rolled off down the slight slope, stopping conveniently before the leader. Who looked at the dismembered body part in sheer terror, and I could fully imagine why. We had underestimated them, but I also suspected they underestimated what Eric was capable off. He didn't need weapons to kill, and perhaps that was what made him dangerous the most.

No one moved. Everyone needed to come to grips with what the hell had just happened, but when that moment finally came, all hell broke loose.

"Oh, you made a mistake right there, _vamp."_

On the leaders command, bullets started to spray everywhere. I ducked to the ground, my hands covering my head as I pressed myself as far into the mud as I could. Everything hurt, and I suddenly grew very tired, but I didn't dare to look up to see what was happening. I didn't want to see Eric, or Pam, get killed right in front of me.

The fire fight continued, but slowly but surely the sound of machine guns seemed to face away, and when there was only one left I heard a deafening snap of broken bones, and it was silent.

My body was still aching, and I wasn't sure if I could get up to see if it was safe. I perked my ears, and was surprised to find a dog barking before getting shooed away by Pam, who was then wondering, "where the hell did that fucking dog come from."

"Serena?" Eric said, and when I judged his voice sounded gentle, I lifted my head out of the mud, rubbing my fingers in my eyes to see.

"Is it over?" I asked, albeit a bit naively.

My vision came back, and I could just make out Eric in the darkness. It helped that he leaned forward, and when he was closer I could see he was covered in blood. My eyes did a quick body scan but he seemed not to be harmed. A miracle, considering the bullets I saw laying on the ground all around me.

"Is Pam okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Pam said with her usual disinterested voice. She then told me no one on their side got hurt, but as I wanted to let out a sigh of relief I couldn't.

"Why does my still body hurt?" I thought out loud. My muscles were tensed, but I quickly figured it wasn't that what was causing the pain. Pressing my hands in the ground, I tried to push myself up, but a stab of incredible pain shot through my left leg.

My initial reaction was to grab where it hurt. Because I couldn't push myself upwards, I rolled on my back and lifted my leg to grab it. When I laid it back down in the mud, I saw my hands were painted crimson.

"Eric?" I asked in confusion as I continued to study my hand.

With supersonic speed he sat besides me and examined my leg. I couldn't even think about the fact that my leg seemed to be covered in blood and I had a blood thirsty vampire right next to me. Not to mention that my blood was supposed to be like crack to a vampire. The pain was numbing me completely.

"Everyone stand back!" he then ordered with such an amount of authority that everyone did as they were told.

"Eric, what has happened?"

"Serena," he began. "You were hit."

"What?" I exclaimed as I pushed myself upwards to see, regretting it immediately as another surge of pain went through my entire body and I let myself fall again.

"You were shot," Eric stated.

* * *

 **A/N:** I see some of you were disappointed with last chapter. I will take all of your comments with me when writing the next 'book', since all of this has already been prewritten. The critique is very much justified, and I will do my best to work on it in the future! I have to defend Serena on some parts though: since vampires have super strength and what not, how can a human/mermaid ever compete? Same goes with fighting multiple people. Also, a story has to have a little drama and that includes doing something very stupid every once in a while. If my memory serves right I believe Sookie gets injured/attacked/etc. many times.

That being said, any feedback is helpful and I am currently planning and writing the second book and I will do my best to have her stop relying on Eric so much.

As always, thank you for sticking with me and hopefully I can persuade you to read the coming chapters. Take care 3


	15. Chapter 14

The pain was spreading throughout my body, but there was one thing I was more worried about. My eyes went from the bullet wound, to Eric, to the other vampires. They were still standing at a distance, and I wasn't sure if I just hadn't noticed it before, but they all had their fangs out.

Eric had seen it as well. He crouched down in front of me, spreading his arms to create a shield. I heard him growl, and for a moment I began to wonder if he was protecting me from them to keep me safe, or so he could have my blood all to himself. We had never been in a situation like this before, and while I trusted him in many other scenarios, there was a _lot_ of blood coming from my leg.

"Eric?" I asked, my voice soft. "What is going on?"

He didn't respond to me. Instead, he addressed all the other vampires by name one by one, ending with Pam. They had all remained frozen, their eyes glued to me as my scent probably filled their nose like never before. Amidst the fear, it was easy to forget I was laying in a scrap yard full of bodies, and even though there was blood right for the taking, my own would trump everything.

"Return to Fangtasia. I will meet you there."

But the vampires didn't respond, not even Pam.

Eric's voice grew more darkly. "As your maker, I order you to return to Fangtasia."

While he could get Pam to do whatever he wished, the other vampires didn't necessarily have to listen to him if they didn't want to. And after Pam spun on her heel and disappeared out of sight, the vampire I recognized as the bartender took a few steps forward.

"She looks delicious," he spoke, licking his lips.

I held my breath, and kept my body as still as possible. My leg was still throbbing, and I could feel blood trickling down my calf, probably enticing the others with every drop that landed on the ground.

"She probably is," Eric agreed, continuing to speak before I could argue with his method of negotiation. "But she's _mine_."

As highly problematic the term sounded, it was the only option I had. I had heard of vampires claiming humans to be theirs, and it meant that they were off-limits for other vampires. This included the right to kill the other if they threatened what was theirs.

"We can share."

The vampire came even closer. Eric responded by standing up and moving right in front of him. He was much taller than the bartender, and I guessed much older. This would be an easy fight if it had to come to one.

" _She's mine_."

I had never heard him sound so threatening before. Eric no longer sounded remotely human. In the way he spoke, he was pure vampire. Anything forgiving about him had disappeared and an almost animal-like figure had returned.

"This is your last chance," he hissed. "Leave."

The vampire considered his words, his gaze shifting between me and Eric as if he was still contemplating trying to get a taste of my blood. My heart continued to pound uncontrollably as I could do nothing more but await my fate.

Finally, the vampire took a slow step back. And then another. And before I could blink, he was gone, followed by the others. Eric remained in position, his hands still curled into fists and his fangs were still out. He was waiting to see they were really gone and if they wouldn't come back as soon as he turned his back, and after a good minute he finally spun around and got down beside me again.

His eyes, so animalistic and full of hunger, changed in an instant. He looked at me with worry, and care and as he gently placed his hand on my shoulder he warned me he was going to pick me up.

"We have to get home," he continued. "A hospital will start to ask questions, but there are other ways."

I knew the other ways. Eric's blood would heal me in almost an instant. It was one of the perks of that came with drinking vampire blood. What was a more popular feature, and more well known, was an increased libido. Vampire blood had become the new drug of choice, and although I had never consumed it before, I was well aware of its effects.

The pain was excruciating. Eric slipped his arms under my knees and my waist. He tried to be as gentle as he could, but the pressure on the bullet wound hurt me nevertheless. I ground my teeth and closed my eyes, promising it would all be over soon. I couldn't even celebrate the fact that my stalkers were finally gone.

Eric didn't fly, but even running he was faster than we would have been by car. I closed my eyes the entire way, not daring to open them until we had returned to his apartment. He placed me on the bed, staining his silk white sheets. He then ripped off my shorts before his finger traced the edge of the hole where the bullet had gone through.

"I need to get it out first," Eric stated. I was surprised at how calm he was.

I couldn't get a word out so I just nodded and embraced for the pain that was about to come.

Within a second he had fetched what looked like a first aid kid. The sight of a vampire with pincers in his hand, ready to dig a bullet out of my leg was slightly daunting, but a hospital wasn't an option.

I cried out when he retrieved the bullet from my leg. Luckily, it hadn't gone too deep, and with the precision of a surgeon he was able to get it. Eric then sat next to me, placed my head on his lap while I was still panting from holding my breath, and let his fangs sink in his own wrist.

As he held his arm out in front of me, and I didn't hesitate for a second. The pain was too strong to think about any possible repercussions of drinking his blood. My lips curled around his wrists and I began to suck. The first couple of drops tasted disgusting, like rust on a piece of metal, but the more I drank, the better it began to taste and after a while I had almost forgotten I was drinking blood.

When Eric decided I had enough, he pulled away his arm. My eyes found my bullet wound and it was surreal to see it slowly disappear in front of my eyes. The pain left my leg, and within a couple of minutes there was no trace left of the wound except for a minor scar that could easily be covered up with a little make-up.

I let out a sigh of relief, allowing a smile in my lips as I lifted my head up to Eric. It wasn't until I was deprived of my own pain that all my senses returned to me. I felt a wet spot forming against my back, and as I pushed myself upwards to see what it was, I noticed Eric was bleeding as well.

"Eric," I breathed, moving on my knees as I pushed his black t-shirt up to reveal his stomach. He had been hit by one of the bullets as well, right where his liver was once supposed to be. If the bullet had hit his heart, he would have died right in front of me.

The roles were reversed, and calmly he ordered me to get the bullet out. A feeling of guilt washed over me as I couldn't imagine how he had done all of this while he was in pain, just like I was.

"Tell me what to do," I asked, adrenaline taking over my body.

Eric instructed me through the ordeal. My hand were shaken so badly I kept on apologizing for hurting him, regretting I couldn't work with the same accuracy as he had done. Finally, I managed to grab the wooden bullet between my pincers and I lifted it out of his flesh, holding it up in front of me. Such a strange thing that only a small piece like this could cause so much damage.

"Now get me blood from the fridge."

My body reacted before I could think. I sat down back besides Eric, his body healing as quickly as mine, but he was still weak and needed to drink.

"I had your blood, now you can have mine."

I could hardly believe I had spoken those words. Never would I ever have thought that I would voluntarily offer a vampire my blood, but here I was.

Eric's eyes grew wider. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Do it before I change my mind."

I repositioned myself on my knees and tiled my head to the side. With my hand I pulled all of my hair back over one shoulder, revealing my neck. He had kissed it before, but now he would bite it. I began to feel anxious, suddenly worrying about the fact that he might not be able to stop.

But I had to trust him. I had trusted Eric for a while now, and not once had he betrayed me. I had faith that he wouldn't do so now either.

His fangs brushed my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I grabbed the bedding with both hands, closing my eyes as he first kissed my neck. Then he did it. It was a sharp pain, but considering to what I just had been through it didn't hurt long. He then began to suck, and the pain was replaced by a tingling feeling running up and down my body. Every so often, his tongue darted out and licked the excess blood from my shoulder. I had to admit, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

We never had been more intimate than we were now, and against my expectations, I was enjoying it. We provided for each other, like real lovers. I had his blood in me, and he had mine, and in a weird fucked-up way, I felt that was romantic.

Eric stopped before I began to feel weakly. His mouth was stained red, like mine probably was as well. I could see the life returned in his eyes, and then he drew a little blood from his thumb and rubbed it over my bite marks. They healed and disappeared, no one would be any wiser that this had happened.

"Thank you," Eric said, placing a kiss on my shoulder. I had never heard him thank someone before, and I couldn't contain my smile.

"I should thank you," I replied. "You saved me. It's all over because of you."

"Always," he simply stated, and the hint of a smirk made me happier than anything cloud.

"So, how did I taste?" I couldn't help but be curious. Everyone always told me how mermaids tasted so spectacularly different to humans, but I never found out what it was like.

"Like home," he replied.

* * *

Eric had left me in the apartment to clean up the mess we had left behind. I offered to come along, but he had told me it would be quicker of he and Pam did it alone. He would stage it that all of the people died due to a tornado hopping through. I remembered the guns and the bullets, noting he should be careful to get everything out of there. There could be nothing left behind to tie us to the scene. While I was glad all of this was finally over, I didn't want anyone to go to prison for it.

I allowed my body to rest in a warm bubble bath. I didn't feel the need to transform, perhaps that was one of the side effects of Eric's blood I didn't know about. It was the first time that it really sunk in what had happened. I was kidnapped. Eric and the other vampires killed all of those people. And there was also that dog. Then I had his blood, and he had mine.

It was over. The stalking, the photos and the videos. Everything was finally done. I no longer had to live in fear. Everyone who knew I was a mermaid was either dead or not that stupid to tell anyone else. It was as if the weight of the world fell off my shoulders. I let out a chuckle, followed by a grin. _I was free again_.

A silhouette in the doorway made me jump, but then I realized it what Eric. He looked at me with kind eyes, and I wasn't sure if it was the blood, or the fact that I could finally breathe again, but my body was longing for him.

Eric took note and before I could blink he had taken his clothes off and came into the water. He pressed his body against mine, his hands on my hips to pull me as close as possible as our lips met.

He smelled like earth, with the usual hint of cologne. Was having sex after murdering an entire group of people and covering it up weird? Perhaps a little, but stranger things had happened lately and I couldn't stop myself anymore.

My hands cupped his butt as I moaned when he entered me. The water made us as light as a feather and within a few pumps I came loudly. Eric's blood heightened every sense, and my body shocked as I reached my peak.

Eric followed just short after. He let out a low sigh before turning positions and cradling me in his arms. I lifted my eyes to look at his face, studying his handsome features as he stared away in the distance.

When he finally looked down, he caught me smiling. To my surprise, his lips curled into light smile as well, and that was when I knew I was safe.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for your comments, I'm glad to hear you are still enjoying this story. The chapter after this one will be the final one in this 'book' :D I can't believe we've come so far! Thanks for the massive support and hopefully I'll see you next time :)


	16. Chapter 15

My house had never looked more inviting. I found myself rushing in, breathing in the familiar smell of home as I slowly looked around. Nothing had changed, yet everything had. While my stalkers were all dead and gone, I had gained a lover. A _vampire_ lover. This complicated things, but it also made my life highly exciting. The kind of exciting that I had missed for a long time. Being normal was fine, but over the past weeks I've learned that being supernatural might be better.

It was already late in the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, and I spend the rest of the day laying outside. My skin was craving the light, and I didn't mind the heat in exchange for the humid nights. I needed to think long and hard about how Eric and I were going to make this work. The only solution I found right now was shifting my sleep cycle. I was lucky enough to work late shifts at Merlotte's, so sleeping in wasn't going to be a problem.

 _Merlotte's._ I forgot. Technically, I no longer worked there. As soon as I remembered an uneasy feeling took a hold inside of me. Me and Sam hadn't exactly ended things on a good note, and now everything was finally over perhaps I owed him an apology.

I rushed inside, pulled the first sundress I could find in my closet and put it on over my bathing suit. The vampire blood inside me made me quicker than I was before, and within no time I was in my car and on my way to the bar.

When I came inside and people asked me how my trip to New Orleans was, I almost misspoke. "Oh, I wasn't in New Orleans!" I wanted to say, but I could bite my tongue before the words came out, remembering the lie I fabricated days ago. I told them I had a great time.

"Where's Sam?" I asked Arlene, one of the other waitresses. She pointed towards the office. Before I went in I spotted my friends near the pool table, chatting up some guys. Jade held her hands in the air, and I mouthed I was going to come over soon.

I slipped behind the bar and went to the office, knocking on the door. Sam told me to enter, and by the look on his face he was surprised to see me. He raised his eyebrows as he put down whatever he was reading in front of him, leaning back.

"Serena," he simply stated.

"Hi," I began somewhat awkwardly. I had no idea whether to keep standing or sit down, and decided to just remain in my spot. "I came here to apologize."

Sam didn't speak and rubbed his hands together.

"The stuff happening to me, the stalker, it's all over now. We took care of it. But I get your concern. What we did was dangerous and it could have ended badly. I'm sorry for not taking you more seriously, Sam. I really am."

Sam nodded contently. "I am truly glad to hear that, Serena."

"I also kind of wanted to ask for my job back."

That made him chuckle, and I was glad for it. "Of course you can."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good."

"In fact," Sam said, standing up to move closer to me. "We're a little short on staff right now, so if it's no problem to you would you be able to fill in?"

"Yes!" I replied, probably a little too enthusiastically, "No problem, Sam!'

The next few hours flew by. I don't think I ever worked a better shift than today, I was practically soaring through the bar. If it was like this every time I had Eric's blood, than I wanted it more often. Never before did I make as much in tips as today, and it was much needed considering all the times I hadn't come in to work the past time.

At the end of the shift I drove back and came home to an empty house. I was satisfied with the fact that me and Sam had made up, but somewhere deep inside me I was disappointed that Eric hadn't come to Merlotte's or wasn't waiting for me here. I knew he had stuff to do at Fangtasia after being absent for some time, but I had hoped to see him again.

Still, I had never slept better, and my dreams were sweet too. There, Eric had come to me. He was caressing my body, from my legs up to my breasts. He traced my thigh scar with his finger, and even though I was sleeping I felt tingles running down my spine. He didn't bite me, instead, he made sweet love to me. Never before had I dreamt so vividly about anything, and when morning came I almost wished it was night again already.

As a distraction from Eric, I decided to go for a swim. While I was still a little cautious about changing during the day, I convinced myself that the chance of running into one of those supremacist lunatics again was very slim, especially considering we killed the entire group. The paper that morning featured a story about the tornado. It also came with a picture, and the work Eric and Pam had done was impressive. There was no sign left of a mass murder, and considering even the cops and investigators bought the story, they had to have done their job well.

It felt great to actually swim again instead of forcing myself in a hot tub. The water was refreshing on my skin, and in combination with the sun shining down on me I was one happy mermaid. When I lifted my tail above the water I noticed it was more brightly colored than ever. Vampire blood was good for more than just the healing aspect.

I spent longer in the water than I normally would, savoring the fact that I was free from my stalkers. My skin was wrinkly and my hair tangled by the time I came out.

When I got back inside and changed into a fresh set of clothes, the phone rang, and it was Jade who wanted to catch up as I didn't had the time to speak to them during my shift. It felt strange having two best friends who had no idea what I had been through. In fact, they also had no idea what _they_ had been through. As far as they knew, I was still my old normal self. They didn't even know Eric existed, and I had to admit that he had become a pretty big part of my life.

As I hung up the phone after talking to her for almost an hour, I decided I needed to tell them I was seeing someone. In fact, I was really missing the girl talk we used to have about boys. They didn't need to know the fact that he was a vampire, for now.

When darkness fell I prepared myself for Eric to drop by. My body was aching to see him, and images of me and him making love kept slipping in and out of my mind every time I wasn't focussing. The combination of the blood and the water heightened my senses, and my needs, like never before, and I assured myself that if he didn't come to see me, I was allowed to go and see him.

I jumped up as fast as a vampire would when I heard something on my porch, and sure enough, it was Eric.

My lips curled into a smile as I opened the door. Without hesitation I lept forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and let my lips crash against his. There was no point in talking when we had our bodies.

Eric's hands moved from the small of my back to my butt and back up again. I was already tugging at him to take off his shirt, when I realized we were still standing outside. While we were supposed to free of the supremacists, I didn't feel comfortable enough to make love under the stars.

I broke off the kiss, and whispered something I never thought I would to a vampire.

"Would you like to come in?" I said, not daring to look him in the eyes before I spoke so I couldn't change my mind.

A smirk unraveled on Eric's face, and before I could blink we were inside, up the stairs, and down on my bed. His lips were on mine again, and for a moment, it felt like everything was truly alright in the world.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it! The first book is done! The chapter is pretty short but I really wanted to write something to wrap up the story before moving onto something else. I am currently very much planning the next book. I was also wondering if any of you have suggestions or things you want to see happening. If so, please leave a comment and I'll take everything into consideration. I've also looked at the critique I received a few chapters ago and I will definitely use that as well.

My strategy is to plan out the entire story first to create one cohesive story line and make sure I won't miss details since I can't edit chapters already published. I am also writing my master's thesis so I cannot make any promises yet when I'll upload the new book. Hopefully you'll understand.

I want to thank you all for sticking with me so far. This story has so many lovely supporters, especially for a show that's already finished. It warms my heart to see that there are still so many True Blood fans out there :) Hopefully, I will see you all again soon! Take care 3


	17. Book II

**BOOK II**

THE WOMAN IN THE NIGHT


	18. Chapter 2-1

The summer in Bon Temps had been peaceful, which was a rare occasion for the local residents. Without murders, kidnappings, and stalkers to keep them busy, everyone had to resort to books and television series for their daily dose of drama. Things had never been so quiet ever since vampires first came out of the closet, and that meant that the tiniest rumors were blown up into the biggest scandals.

"I heard she is pregnant," I heard one of the customers at Merlotte's whisper to another.

"Can't be!" the other woman responded, leaning back in her chair. "I reckon she has put on some weight. When was the last time you have ever seen her with a man?"

I had a secret big enough to turn the entire town upside down. Humans knew of the existence of vampires, but little did they know that there were others. My boss Sam, was a shifter. There were werewolves further north, and someone once told me there were werepanthers, and lions, and faeries. I knew I was a mermaid, which made me a tiny minority amongst the supernatural community. It appeared I was the last one of them as well, which put me in a difficult position more often than not. Apparently mermaid blood was incredibly enjoyable to vampires, which meant I was in constant danger.

Except from Eric Northman. The tall and handsome blonde vampire had managed to do the impossible; steal my heart. It developed from conflicted feelings into something much more. We bonded (not only because of the blood) and he kept me safe from my stalkers. I could never repay him, but for once in my life I wasn't worried about being in debt of a vampire. He was the only one I could trust with my identity. Oh, and Pam, his progeny.

It was a quiet evening in Merlotte's. There were hardly any tables to wait, and I spend most of my time hanging at the bar, chatting to Lafayette. No one here knew about Eric, and I couldn't exactly tell anyone either. My closest friends were constantly teasing me about finding a boy, but considering Eric had glamored them to forget they ever had visited Fangtasia, I technically couldn't have met him either. To cover myself, I continuously expressed my distrust in vampires whenever the subject came up.

Sam knew I had worked with Eric. He knew about my stalkers as well. I also knew he was a shifter, so we were quitte. I had told him that after everything was over I had ended my contact with Eric. He had bigger things to worry about than me.

It was for the first time since forever that I hadn't felt it was necessary to move to another state or country. Bon Temps had truly become my home, and I desperately wanted it to stay that way. The goods things were beginning to outweigh the bad, and now everything had settled down I was leading a very comfortable life.

I couldn't lie. Eric was a big part why I didn't want to leave. We had never confirmed our relationship, or put a name to it. We both knew we cared for each other and that was more than enough. Deep down inside I knew we could never become more than lovers. He lived in the darkness, I in the light. He was a supernatural, I supposedly was not. People were still getting used to vampires and humans dating, and I didn't want to attract any attention to myself.

Our preferred location for our rendez-vous was my house. Eric always came shortly after darkness had fallen, giving me time to sleep after and him time to return to his businesses. We never talked much at first. Our bodies would press against each other, placing kisses all over our bare skin. After I was safely in his arms, my body still recovering, we would speak. Eric had never been one for small talk, but I was lucky that unlike my world, _his_ world was full of drama.

Eric told me about an annual event for the supernatural. Every year, for one night, all different species set aside their differences and came together at a special evening at a special place to celebrate their heritage, as well as discuss important matters which affected them all. This year, equal rights was the hot topic, as vampires were debating how to strategizing their efforts. Since werewolves and shifters technically didn't exist, tensions were rising since it was a debate they had nothing to do with. They much rather focused on the division of individual territories in every states.

I tried to keep up with everything he had told me, but it was difficult to follow. The idea of a sheriff in every area, and a king or queen to rule in every state was difficult for me to grasp. If there was one thing vampires loved then it was authority and rules. I knew Eric was of importance in Louisiana, but I had no idea what his day to day activities as sheriff of Area 5 entailed.

Now I was working regular shifts again at Merlotte's I was able to do up my home a bit. Since Eric had painted the exterior, I decided it was time to refurbish the old roof and make everything look brand new. With the left over money I bought a new rug for the living room and hoped I could keep it blood-free for as long as possible.

While I enjoyed the sex with Eric, I still didn't feel entirely comfortable with him drinking my blood as part of the act. There were women who thrived off the feeling, and loved the idea of it. I wasn't one of those women. Perhaps a lifelong struggle with trying to mask my scent and keep my true nature hidden put me off against anyone drinking my blood. It was a way of protecting myself, and I had a hard time letting go.

Tonight, I would go to him. No one in Bon Temps knew I was visiting Shreveport on the regular. I wanted to keep it that way. The less questions people asked, the better. To protect both myself and Eric, I dressed casual. This time, I was wearing a black hoodie, skinny jeans and sneakers. My hair was in a high pony tail and my make up to the minimum.

I hardly went to Fangtasia. I didn't know anyone who visited the bar personally, but I also knew that it was still considered somewhat scandalous to visit one, and I'd imagine people keeping their mouths shut about visiting. The few times that I did come in, I went through the back and headed straight into his office, or the basement, depending on the situation and mood.

The silver pepperspray had left my purse. Eric had repeatedly told me it didn't work, and now everything had seem to go back to normal I didn't feel like I still needed it. Only a handful vampires knew what I was, and I knew that Eric would never expose me. Pam did whatever she was told, and even though Sam was also aware, I realized he cared too much about me to tell anyone else. Besides, shifters weren't as much as a threat as vampires were.

I parked my car a block away from Eric's apartment and walked the remainder. It had just been dark, but we both didn't have a lot of time, at least not long enough to spend the entire night together. The opposite schedules was the only thing that was difficult in our relationship, and it didn't leave much room for spontaneous actions. Everything was planned, and usually Eric flew to my house to save some time.

Eric had given me a key to his apartment; a moment which I thought was very defining in our relationship. We were never going to be much more than lovers; a vampire and his human, and I accepted the fact that this was about as romantic as it was going to get.

The building always seemed to be deserted when I came. The late hour was very convenient as everyone would either be asleep, out for drinks, or watching television. Nevertheless, I always hurried to the penthouse as fast as I could, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Even after so many visits I was still out of breath when I reached the top floor.

There was no light coming from the inside, which meant Eric wasn't up yet. I still had no idea where he slept during the day, and I doubted I was ever going to find out. I was glad I could let myself in and already decided I would break open the bottle of wine I had hidden in one of his cupboards the week before.

I turned the lock and opened the door, my mind going over the things we were going to be doing. Sex with Eric was different every time, and never before had I felt such a connection with someone. He was so considerate, always making sure I was taking care of. Our bodies and minds seemed to be in sync or perhaps he was just very _very_ experienced (which he probably was…).

My fingers found the light switch. I threw my keys on the dresser and continued my way to the living room. The place still managed to impress. The furniture was expensieve, and everything matched perfectly. Where Fangtasia looked campy, Eric's apartment was like a museum for modern art.

But then my eyes fell on a shape sitting on the far end of the couch. I halted in my tracks, and felt my mouth hanging open.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

* * *

 **A/N:** Welcome back guys! I have completely planned out the next book and I can't wait to get started. I'm really happy this story is still getting followers and I hope you will all join me on this new journey! This is a little introductory chapter to the next book. It wanted to take it to a different direction than the last book. Hopefully I will see you again next time! Take care 3


	19. Chapter 2-2

The room grew smaller as my gaze rested on a vampire before me. For a moment, I suspected my eyes were deceiving me. This simply couldn't be true. It couldn't be a coincidence. It had been years since we had met. We weren't even on the same continent when we had known each other. The chance of us meeting now, in Louisiana, let alone Shreveport, and not to mention in Eric Nortman's apartment was close to zero.

"Serena, my dear."

Sophie-Anne Leclerq reached up from the couch, her silk dress twirling around her pale legs. In an instant she stood before me. Her hair was as red as I remembered, and put up in an elaborate hairdo that had gone out of style decades ago. She was beautiful; breathtaking even. But I was too petrified to appreciate her beauty.

"Finally we meet again."

She held her arms open as if she wanted to invite me in for a hug. I couldn't bring myself to speak. Every muscle of my body seemed to have stopped working and my feet had stuck to the ground. _This was a dream_ , I tried to tell myself. _It's time to wake up now_. My fingers pinched the skin of my arm. It hurt, and nothing happened.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I hissed, hoping my increased pulse would be sensed by Eric. We were connected by blood, and I needed him. I needed answers.

Sophie-Anne clicked with her tongue as she shook her head. I could feel her gaze running up and down my body, tracing every inch of my skin. My life hadn't been in danger for some time now, and I had almost forgotten how it felt.

"It's _Queen_ Sophie-Anne now, Serena. You can address my with your majesty, or your highness. Whichever you prefer," she spoke with an air of lightness. Everything was a game for vampires.

"Wait a minute," I replied, trying to piece everything together in my mind. "You're the queen of Louisiana?"

Eric had spoken of a queen many times, never referring to her name. I was a bit out of the loop regarding vampire politics and I wanted to stay out of it for as much as possible. Never once did I dare to think that the queen would be anyone I know. I thought everyone who knew who I was had either lost track or me, or had died the true death.

"Well, of course!" Sophie-Anne replied. She started to circle around me. "Did Eric not tell you?"

I shook my head as I felt my shoulders hunch forward with every step she took. Sophie-Anne was close to me, too close. Within a second I could be dead. I tried my best not to think about it.

"Oh…" She came to a halt. "You didn't tell him that you and me go back? How unfortunately awkward."

"I didn't think I would ever see you again," I replied, feeling the need to defend myself.

"Well, here I am!" A smile unraveled on her lips. "And it seems like we have a lot to catch up on. Why don't you sit?"

There was no point in defying her. I reluctantly sat down, pressing my knees together as I placed my hands on my lap. My heart was pounding uncontrollably. I had fallen into the traps of a vampire once again, and this time, I doubted I could talk my way out of it.

Sophie-Anne paced up and down in front of me, her silk dress dragging on Eric's carpet. She looked just like I remembered, and even though I knew vampires couldn't alter their appearance much, I was still surprised. She brought back memories. Memories I wanted to forget. How the hell did we end up running into each other?

"It's been a long time," Sophie-Anne began. She came to a halt and placed her hands on her hips, a glowering look in her eyes. "What are the odds of finding you here? In Shreveport of all places!"

She spoke exactly like they did in old black and white movies I used to watch when I was younger.

"Not to mention in _Eric's_ apartment. Did I notice you even have a key?"

"What if I did?" I said, finding it were the only words I could force out of my mouth. I didn't have to justify my behavior, or relationships, to her. I didn't _belong_ to her. Not anymore.

"I'm just surprised Serena." She began to pace again, twirling a curl of her red hair around her finger. "I remember quite vividly you ran away from vampires and vowed to never be in their company ever again. But something tells me you and Eric are a little more than merely acquaintances."

I wished I was wearing my silver jewelry. Or carried my pepperspray. Or had something wooden to defend myself with. With every fibre of my body I tried to scream for Eric to come to me as soon as possible.

"Why do you care?" I spat, my brows forming a stern arch. "What I do now is none of your business."

Sophie-Anne seemed to be delighted by my response and let out a soft sigh. "I missed this Serena. I missed looking at your perfect face. You smell exactly the same, like the salt of the ocean. If only I could get a little taste…"

I decided to ignore her comments. "Cut the bullshit. Why are you here?"

"I was here to discuss business with one of my sheriffs. Boring stuff, really. But now I know you are here… My, my… This is something else. I frankly must punish Eric for not telling me he was sheltering a _mermaid_."

The word coming out of her mouth sent tingles up and down my spine. The palm of my hands were growing sweaty as I felt my heart pounding in my throat. Sophie-Anne was the first vampire who knew what I was. She took me in, told me I was hers now, promised to protect me from the other vampires. It was years and years ago, but I remembered every little detail of our time together.

 _But isn't this exactly what Eric is doing?_ A voice in my mind disturbed me from my train of thought. At first glance, Eric and Sophie-Anne seemed alike. Both were incredibly intrigued by mermaids. I couldn't blame them. They had been long enough on this earth to have seen everything there was to offer, and I was that one thing that was curious. I admitted that—even though it was vampires I was running from—being under the protection of one made me feel more secure. The difference between Eric and Sophie-Anne was that one of them had good intentions.

"He doesn't know we have met," I replied, shifting my position on the couch. "Like I said, I never thought I'd be seeing you. I had no idea you were the _Queen_."

Vampire politics were all unfamiliar to me, and I made a mental note to study the rules and regulations once I got home to prepare myself—if I ever would get home.

Suddenly Sophie-Anne sat next to me. Her knee was touching mine, and even through the fabric of our clothing I could feel the coldness of her skin. She was trying to find my eyes, and I couldn't look away. I couldn't appear weak. I wasn't afraid of her. If she wanted to hurt me, she would've done so already.

"Why did you never tell anyone about me?" I found myself asking.

"Why didn't Eric tell anyone else?" she replied. "For selfish reasons, Serena. Once your state becomes public knowledge, you will be hunted. How can I have you all to myself if you're constantly being preyed upon? You would be dead within a day."

I ruffled my brows. Deep down inside I knew that Eric also had personal reasons for keeping my identity a secret. My blood was like the finest drug to them, unlike anything they had ever tasted. Vampires didn't like sharing humans, let alone a mermaid. Yet I could also hope that he cared for me, even though that was a very unlikely emotion for vampires to possess.

Once I thought Sophie-Anne loved me. How wrong I had been. Now she was sitting in front of me, reminding me of the pain and the struggle I began to wonder if I was wrong for trusting Eric. _Never trust a vampire_ , I had been told. I had trusted two in my entire life and one betrayed me. Who was to say that Eric's feelings for me were sincere?

Looking in her eyes I was so grateful vampires couldn't glamor me. Sophie-Anne was still able to captivate me nonetheless. She was beautiful, stunning even, and her skin seemed to glow under the soft lighting in the apartment. It didn't surprise me she had become a queen. She had always been destined for more.

"This is why it can never work out between you two," she continued. "Vampires cannot mix with other species. We are too egotistical for it."

A light smile appeared on her lips, as if she was telling me it was alright that Eric didn't care for me. As if she was a girl telling her best friend that the boy she was dating was seeing someone else. That she was too good for him.

"Eric is different."

She let out a manic laugh. "Oh honey. I have known him for a _long_ time. I have never seen him care about something apart from himself."

I shook my head, forcing myself to believe my own words. "He's changed."

Then she reached out, the tips of her finger just brushing against my temples before putting a lock of hair behind my ear. I held my breath, my fingers gripping my knees. How much I once enjoyed her doing this…

With light speed Eric appeared in front of us. His eyes were spitting fire and under his calm composure I could sense he had to hold himself back. He was addressing a queen after all.

My heart fluttered upon the sight of him. I released the breath I was holding and allowed my muscles to relax, only raising my shoulders again when Sophie-Anne placed her hand on the small on my back as she leaned forward towards me.

"Hello, Eric," she said, as if nothing had happened. "It is a beautiful night, do you not agree?"

"Get the fuck away from her," he replied, his hands curled in fists. "She's mine."

A problematic term, yet it had saved me before.

"You didn't tell me you had dear Serena all for yourself," Sophie-Anne continued. Her hand was now on my shoulder, her face dangerously close to mine. I turned my head so my cheek faced her.

"I didn't think you cared to know I was sheltering a human."

I appreciated Eric's effort, and I probably should've told him about her, but it had simply never come up.

"A human? Don't be silly darling. We all know she is much more than that."

Eric never was one to let his emotion show, but I'd be damned if I didn't see some form of surprise on his face. His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened just enough for me to notice, and probably for Sophie-Anne to notice as well.

"Serena didn't tell you about us? Shame. You missed out on some wonderful stories. Perhaps one day she'll be able to enlighten you."

"Why are you here?" he hissed, completely glossing over her revelations, which I didn't mind. Although I was sure we would still have that conversation later and I wasn't looking forward to it.

"I came to talk to you, but I found something much better. Instead, we need to talk about Serena. I can't believe you have kept her to yourself for all this time."

His eyes then met with mine, and for a split second I was scared. I could see he was demanding answers. At the same time, Sophie-Anne was still glued to my skin. Everything coming out of my mouth had to be chosen carefully.

"It was a long time ago," I finally responded. "I had no idea she was the Queen of Louisiana."

"Surprise!" Sophie-Anne exclaimed gleefully.

"I haven't seen her in years. If I knew who she was I would've told you."

"So I guess I should thank you, Eric, for giving us a reunion. Now what would make things really perfect if I could just get a little taste. Would you allow your Queen?"

Her hand stroked the side of my neck as she flipped my hair over my shoulder. I shuddered upon her touch and I tried to turn my body, but Sophie-Anne's grip was firm and kept me closely to her. I thought about channeling water, but apart from making the tap in the kitchen burst, there wasn't much damage I could do.

"No," Eric replied firmly. He stood before us. "She. Is. _Mine_."

Sophie-Anne sighed and let go of my body. Once I was released I immediately stood besides Eric, grabbing his arm both for safety and to hold him back if necessary. Even the Queen had to uphold the laws of human ownership but Eric would be staked if he did anything to her.

"I guess I'll have to do with the memories," Sophie-Anne said, raising her shoulders. "But I'm not going to let that spoil this evening. In fact, the timing of this reunion couldn't have been more perfect."

She pushed herself upwards, standing in front of me and Eric. With her heels she was still quite short, and even I towered over her. What she lacked in height she made up in dominance, and I wouldn't dare crossing her. I doubted anyone who did lived to tell the tale.

"I need you to do something for me Eric," Sophie-Anne began. "Something you I imagine you do not want to do. I need to to testify against Alain Martin."

"No," Eric replied firmly.

I had no idea who Alain Martin was, but I figured I would find out soon and kept my mouth wisely shut. I had a feeling Sophie-Anne wasn't done yet.

"I knew you would say that, and I had no idea how to convince you. Until now."

Her eyes rested on mine.

"You'll testify, or I'll spread the word that Eric Northman is sheltering a _mermaid._ "

* * *

 **A/N:** I bet you didn't see this one coming! If you don't recognize Alain Martin, don't worry, he's a character I created. I really hope you like this twist. I think it adds a fun new dimension to Serena's background story.

I'd love to hear your responses on this one! Please leave a review and I will see you guys again soon 3


	20. Chapter 2-3

Within a flash Sophie-Anne was gone, leaving me and Eric behind. We were both stunned. He by the fact that he was being blackmailed and forced into testifying against a vampire I didn't know, and I because I had never thought I would be seeing Sophie-Anne ever again.

Silence followed. We remained in our spots, neither of us sure what to do and how to react. I wanted to reach out and touch Eric's arm, but at the last moment I decided against it. We both had explaining to do, and I could tell that neither of us was comfortable talking. It wasn't something we did very much, and in this moment it showed.

Eric had sensed my movement nevertheless and turned to look. It wasn't until I got my thoughts in order and figured out what I was going to say on my part that I dared to meet his gaze.

"We need to talk," I stated, biting my lip after.

He nodded, and guided me to the couch before fetching himself a bottle of Tru Blood and myself a glass of wine, which was considerate. I eagerly took a sip.

"I figure you want to know how I know Sophie-Anne…" I began, figuring there was no point in dancing around the subject. " _Queen_ Sophie-Anne, I should probably say."

He nodded again. I wished he would say something. I could tell this was hard on him. Talking came easy, but talking about feelings, previous relationships—that was a lot harder.

My fingers played with the hem of my t-shirt. I focused on the carpet on the ground, gathering my thoughts just once more. I hadn't told this story to anyone—ever. Sophie-Anne was a thing of the past, at least I thought. I figured I had gotten rid of her by now. Hell, I figured she had forgotten me by now.

"I met Sophie-Anne many, many years ago. The thing about being a mermaid? I age slower than normal people, which I why I move around so much. We met in Paris. I lived in the suburbs so I was still close to nature to swim, as well as to the city. It was perfect, until I met her."

I looked up to see if Eric was still listening, but judging by the intense gaze that rested on my face I was willing to bet he was hanging off my every word.

"I was aware of vampires, but they were much more secretive about their existence, as you very well know. It was much harder to spot the difference between a human and a supernatural. I also lacked the experience to tell. While she couldn't glamor me, she captivated me nonetheless. Sophie-Anne convinced me that not all vampires were bad. She showed me that, and I believed her."

Eric remained completely still. His pale, yet radiating skin, made him look like a marble statue. I shifted my weight and noticed his eyes moved, following me closely. I wish I knew what he was thinking. I wished that often.

"Things started to change. She got possessive. Demanded that I gave her my blood whenever she wished, even though my health was suffering. She told me that when a vampire claimed someone as theirs that it was normal. I had no idea, I had never belonged to a vampire before. But then she trapped me in her apartment, even during the day. She told me that if I ran she would tell everyone what I was."

I swallowed, taking in a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

"I ran, anyway. During the day, and locked myself up at night. I began to figure out that vampires couldn't enter homes without permission. Sophie-Anne purposely kept knowledge of those things away from me. I went as far as I could, careful not to leave a trail, and eventually made my way to America."

My lips curled in a soft, yet apologetic smile.

"That's it. Now you know."

He remained silent. Eric was rarely struggling to find the words to speak, and in this case, his silence spoke for him. He felt remorse, which was more than I could ask for. I leaned forward and grabbed his knee with my fingers, looking up into his eyes as if to say that I'm okay now. What happened in the past is in the past, and the fact that it came back to haunt me was just a tiny detail. I couldn't let Sophie-Anne get to me, and I couldn't let Eric do this for me.

"Look," I began. "If you don't want to testify against this vampire. You don't have to. What are the chances of them actually believing her? Mermaids are supposedly extinct, right? Let her tell them. We'll make it work. I've ran away once, I can do it again."

"No," Eric replied. It seemed the only thing he was able to say. "No. Regardless of Sophie-Anne… I have to testify."

I scanned his face, trying to look for an expression, trying to read what he was trying to say ahead of time.

"The vampire Sophie-Anne is prosecuting is very old, older than I am. While he is not my maker, I used to be very loyal to him."

" _Used_ to be?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going now we were finally having one.

Eric nodded. "I distanced myself from him a couple of decades ago. He massacred an entire village, leaving hundreds upon hundreds of people dead. It was the worst thing to happen to us as a species. A death here and there is easy to cover up, but this? On this scale? It was near impossible. Vampire laws were not as elaborate as they are now, so he walked away without any repercussions. Sophie-Anne received intel that he is planning something similar. Not all vampires are as _accommodating_ to humans as we are. She needs me to provide the proof and testify."

"We can't she testify herself?"

"He is her maker."

"Oh."

It was the only thing I could say. The relationship between a maker and a vampire was incredibly strong and unlike anything she would ever know. Testifying against your own maker? That would be considered something like treason. No. Even worse than that. It would undoubtedly result in the true death.

"Since we revealed ourselves to the humans, things have gotten more complicated. We have to answer to the government now. We have a reputation to uphold, and even though I do not particularly want to cross a vampire older than I am, I have no choice. I have to do this."

My fingers found his hand and held it, forcing him to look at me.

"I just want you to know that you don't have to do this for me, okay. Don't let her use me as a prop to blackmail you. We can't let her win."

But Eric shook his head. "No, it's okay. I _need_ to do this, regardless whether you are in my existence."

We sat in silence, the only thing audible my soft breathing. Eric could probably also hear my heart beat slowly settling down, and my blood rushing through my veins. I was very thankful for his presence, and even more for the conversation we had. Talking wasn't a thing we did too often. We mostly skipped straight to the sex, and after that my body was so tired I couldn't bring myself to speak. Our schedules were conflicting in more ways than one.

"Are you hungry?" I then found myself asking. I didn't offer my blood that often, as I preferred to keep sex and dinner separately. It was also a way of protecting myself. I knew that my blood was extra special, and tasted better than that of humans. I was afraid that someday he wouldn't be able to stop drinking.

I don't truly know why I did offer myself to him tonight. Perhaps out of guilt. Perhaps out of fear. But also out of dedication. I needed Eric to know that all the trouble I was bringing him wasn't for nothing. I didn't want him to feel like I was using his powers. I wanted to know that I cared for him, like he hopefully cared for me.

Sophie-Anne's words found their way back inside of her head again. _Vampires cannot mix with other species._ But I had it seen go right so many times before. Vampires and humans have been sharing beds for decades. My train of thought continued, and then I realized something. I could remember countless of humans falling for vampires, but I couldn't think of any shifters. Weres were out of the questions as well, the two hated each other. Witches? No. Faeries? They wouldn't dare.

Eric's cold hand on the small of my back snapped me out of my trance. I had gotten used to his temperature, but it still managed to catch me by surprise every now and then. His eyes were full of lust. and hunger

I tilted my head to the side, feeling Eric's soft lips brush against my skin, which was growing hotter and hotter as my sudden revelation settled. _This is why it can never work out between you two._

"Are you sure?" Eric asked one final time even though his fangs were hovering dangerously close to the perfect vein in my neck.

I nodded and pushed my head further to the side to let him know I gave him permission.

A sharp, but short pain followed. The feeling didn't feel as foreign to me anymore, and it had gotten to a point where I didn't mind and even began to enjoy it a little. The idea that I was providing for someone was enticing me. It felt a little romantic, even though blood was involved, and he was technically eating me for dinner.

Eric's hand held my head still by my chin while his other rested on my shoulder. I closed my eyes. His tongue moved around my skin, licking up the blood that had slipped under his lips. I never had to tell him when to stop. Years of experience gave Eric the ability of knowing exactly when it was enough.

He then brought his own finger to his fang and made a small cut, big enough to rub away the bite marks in my neck. While vampires were winning ground regarding equal rights, the sign of being bitten by one was still very much frown upon. _Vampires cannot mix with other species._

"Thanks," I said in return to his healing abilities.

Eric smiled softly, licked the excess blood from the corners of his mouth and then leaned in to place a kiss on my lips. It always struck me how he was able to convey so much passion in such a small act.

"Can I stay here?" My voice was low, as if I was fearful for anyone to hear me. "Until the sun comes up?"

I didn't want to go out there. Not yet. I knew Sophie-Anne found me too valuable to just murder me on the spot, but her reappearance in Shreveport made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't want to go out there and face reality.

"Of course."

And then Eric kissed me again.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope this chapter showed that Serena isn't relying on Eric to solve all of her problems. I know it was an aspect some of you criticized. As always, thank you so much for all of your support. Hopefully I'll see you again next time and please don't forget to leave a review. Take care :)


	21. Chapter 2 - 4

I was very thankful for the sunlight blinding my path ahead. I put on my sunglasses and focused again, driving as quickly as the law allowed me to. As long as the day lasted, I was safe. Eric had assured me Sophie-Anne wouldn't come. She wouldn't do anything to me as long as she was able use me as leverage. I didn't have to be afraid, Eric had told me. But I had always been a little afraid of the dark.

Eric couldn't promise he could come to see me tonight, which was very much understandable. I had thought about switching to living at night so I could spend more time with him, but then I remembered Merlotte's wasn't open the entire night and I had to earn money one way or another. Eric might let me work for Fangtasia, but working nights meant seeing him even less then I already did. He had his own life, as did I. Sooner or later we would find a way to make this entire thing work. I made a mental note to google for _how to be a good girlfriend to my vampire boyfriend_.

My house had never looked so inviting. It was the only thing I had to keep me safe from Sophie-Anne and others who wished me ill. Behind my door no one could hurt me as long as I didn't invite them in, and thank god vampires couldn't glamor me. Other species were able to come in of course, but I counted myself very lucky I had never ran into any trouble with werewolves, shifters, or faeries.

I let myself fall back on the couch and let out a long sigh. I had been able to get a couple of hours sleep with Eric, but my eyelids felt heavy nevertheless.

Before heading to bed, I fetched my phone out of my back pocket and found I had two missed calls and a group chat that was slowly exploding with unread messages. _Oh, fuck_. I had forgotten I was meeting up with my friends for coffee and do some shopping. My bed was calling me, but I couldn't ignore them as I had done so many times before already.

I opened the group chat and quickly scrolled through all the messages. They were meeting up at tiny cafe in town, and by the looks of it both Jade and Allison were already there.

 _Serena. Are you dead? Come over!_

 _We have to leave in an hour, hurry!_

My friends worked regular office hour jobs, which meant that their day started a lot earlier than mine usually did. Well, technically my previous day hadn't even ended yet.

 _Be there in 5_ , I texted back even though I still couldn't exactly bring myself to get up. The car ride back had given me some time to let the arrival of Sophie-Anne process, but the entire court case against this so-called Alain Martin still felt unnerving to me.

Against my wishes I pushed myself off the couch and forced myself to leave, feeling too tired to pick up my feet properly. I couldn't even be bothered to change my clothing. My friends had seen me looking worse many times before, and if anything I could just blame the early hour for my appearance.

Allison and Jade had already started on their breakfast by the time I arrived. They had saved me a croissant, which was nice, and I placed an order for a coffee by one of the waiters before I sat down.

I apologized for being late, but they were already glad that I was here and told me it was fine.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Allison asked, her brows furrowing.

"Home." I ripped a piece of my croissant and stuffed it in my mouth.

"Before that."

"Merlotte's."

"You have been seeing a guy, haven't you?" Allison said.

I stopped chewing and let my eyes meet with hers. Sometimes I wondered if Allison was also a supernatural. She always had to ability to call out a liar and she knew exactly what you had been up to.

"Maybe," I replied, downing the food with a gulp of coffee. I hadn't thought about bringing Eric up, but now things were growing serious I might as well tell them. I owed them that. They didn't need to know he is a vampire, that was just a tiny detail I would simply forget to mention.

"Oh," Jade squealed. "What is his name?"

"Eric," I stated. There were a million guys named Eric, they were never going to tie that to Eric Northman specifically.

"Tell us more," Allison said, her eyes lighting up. Boy talk was their favorite talk.

"Uh." I was struggling to find the words. It was hard to describe him without giving away that he was a vampire, so I decided to focus less on appearance and more on ambiguous characteristics. "He's tall, and he's not from the United States. We met in New Orleans. Uh… he is from Sweden."

That wasn't a lie, _technically_.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner!"

They completely bought into the lie and knew when to stop asking questions. I had always been pretty closed about my romantic endeavors and was grateful that they understood.

When I finally got home again I didn't feel as tired anymore. Even though the caffeine was running through my veins, I decided to take a quick nap and spend the rest of the afternoon in the lake behind my house. As always, I was very careful before turning, making sure no one was near when my legs glued together and transformed into a large tail.

The water recharged me better than coffee ever could. It was an instant cure. My mood was lifted, and Eric was on my mind again. A vampire and a mermaid. Who would've ever thought? But so far, we managed to make it work. Sophie-Anne was wrong. Vampires and other species _can_ mix… right?

Sophie-Anne. There she was again. For so long I had managed to almost forget her. She had always been there, in the back of my memory, but I was always able to suppress her. If I ignored the problem, then it would surely go away. Except that it didn't. The problem was back. Sophie-Anne was back and I regretted the fact that she still held so much influence over me.

I went back into the house, drying my hair in a towel I brought along. Now Sophie-Anne had come out of memory back into reality, I decided there was no point in suppressing her any further. I moved in front of my bookcase, kneeling down on the ground. Row for row I started to pull out books, hoping to find what I'm looking for.

My fingers hit something that felt familiar. The green binding was old and weathered. The book had been traveling with me for some time now and I could never bring myself to put the photos in a different book. This one felt so sentimental. Nostalgic, even.

I held my breath as I opened the book. Even though I hadn't look at any of the photo's for many, many years, I still remembered exactly where I had to look.

Pages and pages of photos flew past. All of me at different ages. I didn't have pictures of me as a child, so the book started when I was a teenager and was far too reckless with getting my pictures taken. I blamed it on the fact that it was a new technology and highly exciting. Back in the day, photography was an expensive thing, and when they gradually became more affordable everyone started snapping pictures of everything they could. I wasn't much different.

I had longer hair when I was young, but I always kept it up in a high ponytail or rolled into loops that framed my face. Women put much more effort in their appearance then, but I didn't miss it. At least I now had rights as a woman and if that meant sacrificing elaborate hairdo's—then so be it.

Finally I hit the photo I was looking for. It was taken at night, and very badly lit. The photo had been fading over time, but I could just make out two figures. Two young women, both impeccably dressed in soft silk gowns with high heels. For the time being, they were dressed provocatively, but that wouldn't surprise anyone now knowing who they were. Sophie-Anne was clearly recognizable, seemingly as she dressed very similar today. I, on the other hand. looked unrecognizable.

It was the only photograph of us two together, as far as my knowledge reached. It was a beautiful picture, and I wished it wasn't fading. I immediately grabbed my iPhone and quickly took a photo of it, at least preserving the state it was in now. It was the only thing tying me to Sophie-Anne, but I couldn't bring myself to destroy it.

As I still held my phone in my hand the screen started to light up as it began to vibrate at the same time. The screen read _Merlotte's._ Even though my body had recovered from my swim and I wasn't feeling that tired anymore, I didn't feel like coming into work at all and considered not picking it up. But then I remembered everything I put Sam through and I couldn't ignore him. I owed him. Big time.

"This is Serena," I said, after sliding to unlock my phone.

"Serena, I think you need to come over," Sam said. Even though I couldn't see him, I could hear there was something off about his voice, something I couldn't necessarily place.

"Did Louise call in sick again?" I tried, deep down hoping it was just that and nothing worse. Although it was probably something worse. It always was.

"Uh, not exactly," Sam replied. "There is a vampire in here waiting to speak with you."

"But it's li—." It wasn't until then that my eyes fell on the window and I noticed it was dark outside. I had been staring at these pictures for a long time and completely forgotten that time was passing. How long had I sat there on the ground reminiscing the past? I hadn't even had dinner yet, or lunch for that matter.

"What vampire?" I said, my voice breaking ever so slightly.

I doubted it was Eric, who would never go to Merlotte's to look for me without checking my house first. Pam? No, she would've called me personally. Sophie-Anne wouldn't be caught dead in a town like Bon Temps and I figured she had more important stuff on her mind right now, although she had always been unpredictable.

"A man. I have never seen him before. He told me he needed to speak with you. He added a firm _now_."

"Did he say something about Eric? A vampire named Sophie-Anne?"

"Nope," Sam said. "But, Serena, I suggest you get over here fast. People are starting to get nervous."

While still on the phone I began to run upstairs, dropping my robe midway and began to pull on something as fast as I could. My hair was still wet, but I would have to do.

"I'm on my way," I said, already out of breath.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all again for the support! I hope you had a nice Easter and I will see you next time :)


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